ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 01st Apr, 2020) Gulf news has highlighted the UAE’s global efforts in the battle against COVID-19, saying that the country's stature in combating COVID-19, is "growing steadily, enhanced by its generous distribution of international aid to help counter the strain".
The report titled "How the UAE is helping the world battle coronavirus" noted that by continuing the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, the country’s commitment to give more and help as many people as possible is "aligned with its core values, a broad generosity, the desire to ease suffering and help rehabilitate people from living in conditions beyond their control."
The paper shed light on the UAE's aid to China, saying that at the heart of these endeavours was the UAE’s provision of medical supplies to the eastern Asian nation before flying hundreds of foreign citizens from Hubei province to Abu Dhabi in a humanitarian operation conducted in cooperation with the Chinese government.
The 215 people – from countries that include Syria, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, Brazil, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan – were flown to the UAE capital in a plane equipped with medical facilities.
All of the students, mostly of Arab nationalities, tested negative for the virus before their departure and a specialist medical team provided by the UAE health authorities accompanied the group as a further precautionary measure.
The passengers were welcomed to the UAE with a personal message written by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The paper also pointed to the setting up of a field hospital in London and said that the UAE has also acted beyond its borders, offering a helping hand to Britain as it grapples with the mounting public health emergency posed by the virus.
ExCel London events space, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, will play a crucial role in the United Kingdom’s efforts to counter the novel coronavirus when it opens later this week as a 4,000-bed hospital called NHS Nightingale.
The paper noted the statement of the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, who said the new NHS Nightingale hospital would be vital to efforts to contain the pandemic.
Gulf News wrote that "these crucial efforts" were made where the need was most dire – Iran - to confront one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the world.
The UAE dispatched two urgent relief planes carrying 32 tonnes of medical supplies and relief equipment to support Iran’s ongoing efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including gloves, surgical masks and protective equipment.
Prior to that, the UAE had also facilitated a mission by the World Health Organisation to deliver medical supplies and equipment to Iran. A UAE Air Force aircraft carried 7.5 tonnes of cargo to Tehran.
The UAE also sent an urgent medical aid shipment to Afghanistan, containing 20,000 testing units and equipment to examine thousands of people.
The Dubai-based paper also said that the UAE donated 11.5 tonnes of medical equipment, including face masks, to Croatia following its recent devastating earthquake described as the strongest to strike the country in 140 years.
The Croatian government cancelled a deal to buy protective masks worth HRK19 million (US$2.7 million) following the UAE’s donation, Gulf News added.
The UAE has offered to help Syria battle the coronavirus pandemic, the paper noted, citing a phone call between His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Syrian President, Bashar Al Assad, to discuss the global crisis.
The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s message to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo "reaffirmed the country’s commitment to providing medical assistance to any private American citizen or member of the US armed forces residing in the Emirates," the paper also highlighted.
Gulf News added that the UAE technology sector's help, especially from Emirati company Group 42 leveraged "existing Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing technology to prevent the virus from spreading and to ensure medical supplies reach the areas where they are most needed."
G42 will also be supplying hundreds of thousands of essential medical supplies to China, which include surgical masks, goggles, gloves, and a variety of other protective clothing to protect the healthcare workers who are treating sick individuals.
"By leading the way in combating COVID-19, the UAE has shown, time and again, how nations should be driven by a moral duty to help where they can. It is this spirit that makes a difference to millions of lives," the paper concluded.
