UAE Aid Airlift To Syrian Refugees

The President, Sheikh Khalifa, on Tuesday ordered a rapid emergency airlift of lifesaving aid to a million Syrian refugees as a fierce winter storm threatened the Levant. Blankets, winter clothes, medicine, food and heaters are being flown to refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, and to Gaza and other parts of the Palestinian territories. The first flight was due to take off in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The President urged the public to join the relief effort. “The sons of the UAE are the sons of good and generous Zayed,” Sheikh Khalifa said. “We invite all our citizens and residents to participate in this national campaign to aid our refugee brothers and sisters suffering from harsh winter conditions in the Levant.” Syrian refugees are already facing temperatures below freezing, heavy snow, hail, rain and thunderstorms forecast to continue until Sunday. Winter storms in the past few years have battered refugees’ tents and turned their camps into frozen swamps. This year’s weather is expected to be as harsh, if not worse. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has also ordered the formation of a special joint task force of the Emirates Red Crescent, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the International Humanitarian City and Dubai Cares to start an aid plan immediately. ERC was called in for meetings until late on Tuesday to finalize logistics. Its secretary general, Mohammed Al Falahi, said the airlift would continue every day for a week. “We are expecting conditions to be difficult this winter.” On Twitter, Sheikh Mohammed briefed his 3.5 million followers about the relief plan, and called for organisations to step in. “Brothers and sisters, news have warned of a strong storm that will hit the Levant where the cold and snow will fall heavily and temperatures will reach -4°C,” he said. “I ask of all global and humanitarian organizations and governments to stand up for the children and women in the refugee camps as they will face the storm in their tents with little food.” The airlift is in the tradition of UAE giving that is expanding to help hundreds of thousands of people around the world, said Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development head of the committee that co-ordinates humanitarian aid. The humanitarian effort showed Sheikh Khalifa’s “understanding of the crisis as well as his deep desire to spare our brothers in the Levant from the tragic onslaught of harsh weather,” she said. (Source: Syrian Interim Government)