By Edward Vamboi
It has been confirmed that President Dr Julius Maada Bio has received confirmation from Sierra Leone’s Ambassador in the UAE, Rashid Sesay, of 7-tons of Anti-Covid-19 medical supplies. The consignment arrived in Freetown on Monday 11 May 2020.
President Bio enjoys a cordial and fraternal relationship with His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE.
On Wednesday 6 May 2020, the two leaders had a virtual meeting where they discussed the donation.
A note verbale of 9 May 2020 conveys details of the dispatch of a special aircraft containing the donation to the esteemed government of President Julius Maada Bio. All necessary clearances from the Sierra Leone Aviation Authority were in place for the landing of the Etihad Airways special aircraft.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Nabeela Tunis, officially received the medical supplies at the Lungi International Airport.
It was understood that seven metric tonnes of aid were sent to Sierra Leona to help 7,000 medical professionals, while a further six metric tonnes was sent to both Niger and Mali each, to help 6,000 medical professionals in both of those countries.
Omar Al Meheiri, Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Senegal, said, “The UAE is committed to assisting its partners throughout Africa in their relentless fight against COVID-19. Today’s provision of aid will boost medical professionals’ ability to combat this virus with the necessary protection and equipment to ensure their safety.”
Amer Al Menhali, Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Chad, said, “Aid to Niger comes as part of the UAE’s efforts to ensure that medical professionals throughout Africa, especially those in the Sahel region, have access to the necessary personal protective equipment to enable their critical work on the frontlines of fighting COVID-19.”
Yousef Saif Al Ali, UAE Ambassador to Algeria and Non-Resident Ambassador to Mali, said, “Mali is an important partner to the UAE in efforts to strengthen the fight against COVID-19 throughout Africa. Today’s delivery of medical aid to Mali will help protect medical workers who are leading the campaign against the virus’ spread.”
“The UAE stands with Mali in this difficult moment and is confident that the world can overcome this crisis through cooperation on all fronts,” Al Ali added.
To date, the UAE has provided more than 479 metric tons of aid to over 44 countries, supporting nearly 479,000 medical professionals in the process.
