UAE sends urgent medical supplies to Sierra Leone

The UAE has sent emergency medical supplies to help those affected by a recent fuel tanker explosion in Sierra Leone.

Sixteen tonnes of medical aid have been dispatched to support the West African nation's health sector.

At least 115 people were killed when a tanker exploded following a collision with a truck in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, last Friday.

The UAE expressed its solidarity with the government and people of Sierra Leone, stressing its keenness to help boost the capacities of hospitals in Freetown, by providing the injured with adequate care and assisting medical teams to perform their duties.

دولة #الإمارات تُرسل إمدادات طبية عاجلة إلى سيراليون. https://t.co/URjioJaO7u

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) November 10, 2021

As part of its ongoing efforts to assist friendly countries, the UAE has spent AED 143 million to support development and humanitarian projects in over nine key sectors in Sierra Leone.

Under this framework, the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Field Hospital was established in Port Loko, with a capacity of 100 beds, to treat COVID-19 patients.

The UAE also sent seven tonnes of medical supplies to Sierra Leone to address the pandemic and strengthened the country’s electricity grid by generating solar energy in Freetown, in addition to launching educational projects in several cities.