November 10, 2021
By: Mohamed Amara Gando
In solidarity with the Government of Sierra Leone over the November 5th human tragedy at Wellington, the Government of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) has on the 9th of November 2021, sent in 15 tons of assorted need felt medical supplies to help in the medication of the hospitalized fire victims.
These medical supplies were received by the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demby at the Lungi International Airport and handed over to the Disaster Management Agency. The assorted medical supplies include wound dressing items, burn gels, needles, paraffin gauze, dextrose, and ringer lactate among many others.
Receiving the assorted medical supplies, the Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby thanked the UAE Government for such a kind gesture particularly during this time of need. He disclosed that President Bio has worked tirelessly to strengthen relations between the two countries, and therefore, commended the UAE for always standing by Sierra Leone.
Dr. Demby continued that this is not the first time Sierra Leone has received such donations from the UAE adding that, during the cause of the Covid-19; Sierra Leone received more medical supplies from the UAE.
He said he was gratified and humbled to respectively receive those donations especially when the country is in a dying-need of help.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAFIC), the Senior Assistant Secretary of MAFIC, Momodu Bai Sesay reiterated that UAE has been a very good friend of Sierra Leone. He noted that the medical equipment received from the people and the Government of UAE would help reduce the suffering of the November fire victims.
“In an official correspondence sent to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates they were sending a loaded Emirati Aid Plane to Sierra Leone containing tons of medical aid items to lessen the repercussions of the human catastrophe resulted from the tanker explosion in Freetown” he said.
The donated items arrived in Sierra Leone on Tuesday morning through a special Etihad Cargo flight from Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
It could be noted that the relationship between Sierra Leone and the UAE has been heightened under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio. The United Arab Emirates was also one of the first countries to donate medical supplies to Sierra Leone at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.