Fourth UAE aid ship arrives in Syria

A fourth UAE aid ship arrived at Syria's Port of Latakia on Tuesday carrying over 2,800 tonnes of relief supplies.

The shipment was facilitated by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) as part of Operation Gallant Knight 2 to support those affected by an earthquake that struck the country in February.

The latest batch of aid includes 1,662 tonnes of food supplies, 321 tonnes of food baskets, 41 tonnes of dates and 777 tonnes of relief materials, in addition to 15 tonnes of building materials.

These items will be distributed in earthquake-affected areas in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, ERC Secretary-General, said ERC teams are working on multiple fronts to ease the suffering caused by the disaster, pointing out that rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes in affected areas are being carried out alongside urgent relief and emergency assistance programmes.

"The ERC has ambitious plans to expand the scope of beneficiaries of this year’s Adahi (sacrifices) project, marking Eid Al Adha, and distribute Eid clothing in several Syrian provinces," he added.

"The UAE was among the first countries to stand by Syria after the earthquake, and this honourable stance is not surprising, as it reflects its solidarity with Arab countries and leading role in assisting all countries worldwide during natural disasters and crises," said Tayseer Habib, Chairman of the Latakia Governorate Council in Syria.

Habib also acknowledged the UAE Ministry of Defence’s Joint Operations Command for launching Operation Gallant Knight 2, which included search and rescue teams and the dispatch of humanitarian aid.