UAE flies vital aid to frontline medics in Cuba
The UAE sent a plane carrying eight tonnes of medical supplies to Cuba to bolster efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The aid will assist about 8,000 medical professionals as they work to contain the virus.
Bader Almatrooshi, UAE ambassador to Cuba, said the two nations “have forged strong ties in recent years in a show of co-operation that is helping both of our countries overcome the Covid-19 crisis.
“With today’s delivery of aid, the UAE leadership is sending a message of support and solidarity to Cuba and its frontline workers, many of whom have gone on to volunteer to battle the virus in other countries with immense courage and resolve.”
Cuba was recognised for acting quickly to tackle the virus and to date has recorded 2,107 cases, of which 1,830 have recovered. The death toll is 83, in a country of more than 11 million people.
UAE aid to Cuba over the past five years has amounted to more than Dh47 million, state news agency Wam reported.
This week, the UAE also sent nine tonnes of medical aid to Dagestan, Russia, to assist more than 9,000 healthcare workers. A further eight tonnes of medical supplies were sent to Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya in Russia, on Wednesday. Russia has more than 441,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with about half of these having recovered. The country has reported 5,384 virus deaths since the outbreak b gan.
An aid plane carrying nine tonnes of medical supplies was sent to Madagascar this week. To date, the UAE has provided more than 708 tonnes of aid to 62 countries in need.