The UAE has sent an aircraft carrying 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Mauritania with the aim of helping the country in its efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic. The medical aid will also support the efforts of the Mauritania government to accelerate its return to normalcy and post-pandemic recovery.

The aircraft is also carrying 15 metric tonnes of medical supplies to assist the health sector in addressing COVID-19 infections. Notably, this is the fifth medical aid plane sent by the UAE to Mauritania since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking about the shipment, Hamad Ghanem Al Mehairi, UAE Ambassador to Mauritania, underlined the fraternal and robust relations between the two countries across several fields.

Al Mehairi added that the medical aid is part of the UAE leadership's efforts to facilitate aid and support to the Mauritanian people during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will further boost Mauritania's campaign to contain the spread of the virus and protect the health and wellbeing of all members of the community.

"Since April 2020, the UAE has sent around 35 metric tonnes of medical supplies and vaccines to Mauritania," he said.

In July, the UAE inaugurated the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed field hospital in Mauritanian capital city Nouakchott to provide support and assistance to the country's health sector in containing the impact of the pandemic. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies along with 200 beds to provide relevant treatment to COVID-19 patients.

To date, the UAE has sent more than 2,250 tonnes of medical supplies to over 136 countries as part of its humanitarian efforts to contain the global health crisis. The medical aid has assisted thousands of healthcare workers in the process. 

WAM