UAE President offers condolences to Brazilian president over flood deaths

President Sheikh Mohamed has ordered the urgent shipment of relief to Brazil, where floods submerged dozens of towns and left more than a hundred people dead.

In a phone call on Thursday, the UAE President expressed his condolences to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the people of the country over deaths and the devastation wrought by the natural disaster.

Heavy rains in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state have caused rivers and lakes to hit their highest levels, killing 149 people and displacing some 538,000 others, according to authorities. About 108 are still missing.

Some 250,000 addresses are still without power and more than 136,000 people have lost access to water, state officials said.

Lula thanked Sheikh Mohamed and also offered his condolences on the recent passing of Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening various aspects of UAE-Brazil cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy, technology, development, renewable energy, and food security.