On Thursday, UAE sent an aid plane containing 12.5 metric tonnes of medical aid and 500,000 rapid testing kits to 14 Caribbean islands. These include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominica, Belize, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, along with Montserrat, the UK overseas territory. This is in cooperation with Barbados, which will function as the distribution hub, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

The aid supply is set to assist over 12,500 medical and healthcare professionals who are working in the island states to curb the infection spread.

The UAE Ambassador to Cuba and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and St. Kitts and Nevis, and Association of Caribbean States Representative, Badr Abdullah Al Matroushi said, “The UAE is a strong supporter of Caribbean governments’ efforts to achieve their national priorities and sustainable development goals, particularly in ensuring access to modern, sustainable, and affordable energy services. The UAE extends as well its support to these governments in taking urgent action to combat climate change, achieve gender equality, and empower women and girls.”

He added “The dispatch of medical aid aircraft today to the Caribbean Islands reflects the UAE’s ongoing efforts to support their fight against the current pandemic by providing the necessary medical supplies to enhance the capacity of medical workers and provide them with appropriate protection”.

Ibrahim Mohamed Juma Al Mansouri, the UAE Ambassador to Panama and Non-resident Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and Barbados said, “The UAE is honoured to extend assistance to Caribbean nations, where COVID-19 has presented challenges that the region has faced with courage and determination. This aid will further strengthen Caribbean nations’ ability to fight the pandemic in service of their communities.”

Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of UAE to UN in New York and Non-Resident Ambassador to Grenada said, “International cooperation is essential to contain the pandemic and drive economic recovery. We agree with the World Health Organisation’s assessment that no one is safe until everyone is safe. The UAE is committed to working with the international community and Caribbean countries to ensure that lives and health are preserved and that tourism, trade, and other economic activity can resume safely.”

UAE has extended humanitarian aid of over 1,132 metric tonnes till date to over 89 countries to help in their fight against Covid-19. In process over 1 million medical professionals have been helped. UN World Food Programme also benefitted as UAE provided an aircraft to the organization. The group is responsible to handle the logistics for UN response to tackle Covid-19 globally. UAE also has provided WHO with $10 million worth of testing kits. Now UAE is all set to host UN’s largest supply and logistics hub which is located in Dubai’s International Humanitarian City. 

WAM