As per the direction of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler, his wife wife Princess Haya bint Al Hussein met an airlift from Dubai's International Humanitarian City (IHC) at Rome Fiumicino Airport (they were refueling in Rome), to travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to oversee a delivery of 90 metric tonnes of relief supplies to those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The princess was in Rome to meet Pope Francis and attend a Soccer Match for Peace, starring football legends such as Maradona and Ronaldinho. Following the match, Princess Haya immediately flew to Haiti on an IHC airlift to personally deliver and oversee the distribution of relief supplies, after Hurricane Matthew abruptly demolished the island last week. At least 1.4 million people require immediate attention, with almost 300,000 people residing in temporary shelters as many small towns and villages have been wiped off the map. She previously visited Port-au-Prince on a similar mission after the equally devastating earthquake hit in 2010. The aid shipment was organized by the International Humanitarian City per the instruction of HH Shaikh Mohammed, and included supplies from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot and its partners including Save the Children, Handicap International, World Vision International, Catholic Relief Services, USAID and Lutheran World Relief. The aid, which was transported on Shaikh Mohammed's personal 747B-400, is valued at more than $350,000 and is estimated to impact approximately 340,000 people. It includes water purification units, mosquito nets, medical supplies, tents and other support equipment that will be distributed among those in need.
The focus of the aid shipment (as cholera is a growing concern) is facilitating access to a sufficient supply of quality water, education, shelter, child protection, health and nutrition for those affected.
The UAE has always played an important role in providing aid and assistance during disasters and crises. Last month, per the direction of HH Shaikh Mohammed, over 100 tonnes of aid were delivered to Entebbe, Uganda for 60,000 South Sudanese refugees that had fled the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
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