Etihad launches humanitarian aid mission for Rohingya refugees
Left to right: Photos of Etihad team visiting the Rohingya camp in Bangladesh.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Feb 13: Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) has launched a humanitarian aid mission in support of Rohingya refugee families. The campaign commenced with the distribution of garments, dry food packages, and blankets to more than 3,000 Rohingya families in Bahukhali Bazar in Bangladesh.
The initiative is funded by the generous miles donations of Etihad Guest members, in addition to donations made at various Abu Dhabibased sporting and social events, as well as the electronic Dirham initiative.
The mission also included humanitarian aid distribution at a hospital jointly operated by Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The EAG delegation included Khaled Al Mehairbi, Senior VicePresident & General Manager of Etihad Airport Services — Ground, and CSR Strategy, Ali Al Shamsi, Vice-President Global Airports, and Dougie Douglas, General Manager, commercial activities in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Earlier this year, EAG announced a year-long programme of activities and humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed.
Al Mehairbi said: “Today, the Rohingya are in dire circumstances and it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to support them. Driven by our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed’s decades-long charitable activities, Etihad Aviation Group is hoping to play a small role in alleviating the Rohingya’s current conditions.”
In recent months, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled violence to Cox’s Bazaar — a district in Bangladesh. The vast majority are women and children, including new-born babies. It is known as the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world. Many refugees have experienced extreme trauma, both from the attacks and the difficult journey to the Bangladeshi border. They arrive hungry, in poor physical condition and in desperate need of life-saving support.
Implemented via an agreement between EAG and the UAE Embassy in Bangladesh, this humanitarian mission was undertaken in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent and the Bangladeshi Red Crescent.
The UAE government has already pledged $7 million in support of the Rohingya community.
During the past five years, EAG has also supported refugees in Greece, Serbia, Lebanon and Jordan.
SIPG, semi-finalists in 2017 after spending more than $100 million on Brazilian stars Hulk and Oscar, won 1-0 at Kawasaki Frontale.
The team’s less-heralded Brazilian import Elkeson grabbed the only goal of the game against the Japanese champions midway through the first half.
2016 winners Jeonbuk Motors returned to the competition in style, coming from 2-0 down in South Korea to defeat Japanese visitors Kashiwa Reysol 3-2 thanks to a second-half brace from 39 year-old Lee Dongguk.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea’s Ulsan Horang-I took the lead three times at Melbourne Victory but had to settle for a 3-3 draw.
The tournament is divided into two geographic zones, east and west, until November’s final.