Sheikh Mohammed orders urgent facilitation of aid to quake-hit Afghanistan

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the facilitation of emergency aid flights to transport life-saving humanitarian assistance to Kabul, following a 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit eastern Afghanistan.

The Dubai Ruler’s order comes upon the request of the international humanitarian community and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

On Tuesday, a cargo flight departed from Dubai to Kabul, carrying 24.5 metric tonnes of essential medicines, medical items, and cholera kits supplied by the WHO from its warehouses in the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai.

The facilitation and transport of aid come in response to the immediate humanitarian needs of Afghanistan, following the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of at least 1000 people, amid fears of a cholera outbreak besides the country's already dire humanitarian situation.

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Giuseppe Saba, CEO of IHC, said: "Reports indicate that this is the deadliest earthquake in two decades, further compounding the alarming humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The IHC, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is accelerating the rapid response of the international humanitarian community as it rallies to come to the aid of those impacted by the disaster.

"Many organisations that we host in IHC are working round the clock to mobilise resources, and we are coordinating with them to provide all the required support to transport relief from our warehouses into Afghanistan. Time is of the essence, and Dubai and the UAE’s leadership consider a swift response a humanitarian duty to save lives," he added.

Dr Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Afghanistan, noted: "The trauma and emergency surgery kits that are arriving on this flight from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai’s International Humanitarian City are absolutely critical to maintain our ongoing support to the people of Afghanistan as these supplies will cover the needs of at least 340,000 people. We are grateful for the vital logistics assistance provided by the UAE in support of WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai."

• Dubai