Etihad Airways carries 7 tonnes of medical supplies to South Africa

April 21, 2020: Etihad Airways transported 7 tonnes of medical supplies to the Republic of South Africa supplies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to assist approximately 7,000 health care workers.

“The UAE has dedicated itself to working as an active partner and active contributor to the international community in light of the global efforts to combat the emerging coronavirus,” Muhsh Saeed Al Hamili, UAE’s ambassador to South Africa, said.

"There is communication and coordination at all political, economic, social and educational levels between the two countries," he added.

The UAE assistance to South Africa comes within the framework of the continuous efforts made by the country to assist other countries in their efforts to contain the emerging coronavirus.

The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised these efforts on April 15, and said: “I would like to thank the African Union, the governments of the UAE and Ethiopia, the Jack Ma Foundation, and all our partners for their solidarity with the African countries at this critical moment in history. "

Recently, Etihad carried approximately 33 metric tonnes of medical supplies to Ethiopia to assist using its B787-9 Dreamliner. It transported 15 metric tonnes of aid provided by the UAE to Ethiopia, 3 metric tonnes provided by the UAE to the African Union, and 15 metric tonnes of aid provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), to help Ethiopia and other African countries combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Along the similar lines, UAE has sent a plane carrying 18 metric tonnes of medical and food aid to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The shipment, which contained testing kits, medical devices, and food supplies, will assist approximately 10,000 healthcare workers in Mauritania as they work to contain the spread of Covid-19.

To date, UAE has sent more than 260 tonnes of aid to more than 24 countries, benefiting about 2,60,000 health workers.