UAE leads the drive towards a healthier world

This pandemic is laying bare faultlines in society and throwing up uncomfortable questions for humanity. There is collective angst and misery from the economic fallout that awaits the world. Economic powerhouses are as vulnerable to the infection as the least developed countries. The number of cases are rising and the virus continues its march unchecked, putting civilisation and its grandeur in peril. A simple touch sets off the transmission chain. In the middle of so much misery, people are finding solace and comfort from each other. The empathy and help they are getting from governments also offers consolation. Governments have been responding the best as they can by reaching out to other countries. The UAE has displayed exemplary leadership on the humanitarian front and helped countries in this hour of need. Since this crisis unfolded, medical and food aid worth 570 tonnes have been shipped to 50 countries. The UAE also made its first commercial flight to occupied Palestine on Tuesday to deliver aid to those suffering in the region. No distinctions are being made, and no one who needs help is being left out. Over 570,000 medical professionals have benefitted from the help rendered by the UAE. At home, the government has helped repatriate several residents to their home countries, allowing them to spend time among their loved ones. It is also finding ways to allow people to return to their families in the emirates.

Empathy has been the defining trait of the leadership during this crisis. The pandemic has disrupted life as we know it. Greater cooperation among nations could help lessen the suffering of people. The strict measures taken by countries to contain the spread of the virus is helping but it is also devastating lives and economies. Millions have lost their jobs, millions more are unsure of their survival in the coming months. The prevailing uncertainty has wrecked all plans at the personal, corporate, and national levels. Governments are unsure when to ease restrictions for they fear a second wave of infections. A vaccine, when discovered, would help, but picking up the pieces after the pandemic would require a more connected world and new partnerships. In fact, it will be a Herculean task that demands all sections of society stick to enhanced hygiene levels while maintaining social distancing. The UAE, through this humanitarian mission, has shown that a new world can emerge after this crisis. The pandemic will make countries stronger and more resilient if partnerships are forged across all sectors. A healthier world is in the interest of all countries.