The UAE has continued its efforts to support the recovery of several communities affected by the deadly Beirut explosion. More than a month after the blasts, the UAE's flagship carrier Emirates has been working to turn its customers' collective generosity from all across the world into essential humanitarian cargos aimed at aiding the recovery of those affected by the blast and rebuilding their lives. Emirates customers around the globe have been contributing to the initiative through cash or Skywards Miles to boost the capacity of the Emirates SkyCargo to scale up their resources and airlift necessities to Lebanon.

The Emirates has received more than 12,000 donations from 140 countries in form of cash or Skywards Miles through the secure, dedicated, and expedient Emirates Airline Foundation portal as well as the Emirates website. Donations have come from various countries including India, the UK, Germany, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Taiwan, South Africa, and Japan.

There are a number of Emirates Skywards members who expressed their commitment and support to the Beirut disaster relief efforts by individually contributing around 250,000 Miles each. As per a WAM report, a total of over 120 million Miles have been donated by Emirates Skywards members as of now. Subsequently, the airline will be contributing the donations for Beirut relief over the next two months.

Through the help of donations, the cargo capacity of humanitarian organisations will increase and they will be able to transport essential medical supplies and equipment along with food and other emergency relief goods directly to Beirut with the help of Emirates SkyCargo. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo is further contributing to the cause by providing a 20% reduction on air freight transportation charges for certain approved shipments.

Since August 13, Emirates SkyCargo has transported around 160,000 kgs of essential medical supplies and food to Beirut through several missions in coordination with local and international NGOs with the aim to support the relief efforts of blast-affected communities. At the same time, there are more missions to support Beirut communities working in the pipeline. Six more shipments containing medical supplies, PPE, hygiene products, non-perishable food, clothing, and veterinary supplies will be flying to Beirut over the new few weeks.

Emirates has expressed gratitude towards giving back and making a difference for the communities it serves. The airline is supporting more than 30 humanitarian and philanthropic projects in 18 countries, including four countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through the Emirates Airline Foundation. The airline has been flying to Lebanon for almost 30 years. As of now, it is serving Beirut with two daily flights to help and support the communities in need. 

WAM