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UAE: Job-seeker's body finally flown home after 10 months in morgue
Residents collect funds to repatriate body to Uganda for funeral
The body of a Ugandan job seeker who died in Al Ain more than 10 months ago, has finally been flown back home after UAE residents came out to support her family.
Nanono Sharifah, 32, passed away on December 23, 2021, according to the death certificate issued by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention. Since then, her body has been lying in the hospital morgue in Al Ain because her family failed to raise the money required for the repatriation process.
Soon after Khaleej Times published her story on November 8, several UAE residents came out in support of Sharifah’s family and they collected enough funds to repatriate the body back home for burial.
Ugandan expats Yusuf Kimera and Abdala Luyimbazi, who have been helping the family with the documentation to send the body to Uganda, said they had received several calls from good-hearted residents in the UAE offering financial support to transport Sharifah’s body.
“The generous and kind people of the UAE have offered all the money required to repatriate the body to Uganda, right up to her hometown, and for the burial ceremony,” Kimera told Khaleej Times on Thursday.
“By Wednesday evening, we were done with the repatriation process. Sharifah’s body was flown to Uganda on Thursday morning on an Emirates flight.”
Kimera thanked all those who supported the family.
Sharifah’s sister speaks about family difficulties
Sharifah’s sister Ruth Nakitende, who stays in Kampala, Uganda, said the family has been going through difficult times since the death of their relative.
“I was so devastated by the death of my sister. The family has been going through hard times and struggling to find money to bring her body back home,” she told Khaleej Times on phone.
“We wanted her children to have the chance to attend their mother's funeral.”
“I am happy to hear that the people of UAE have come out to support my sister's repatriation process. I thank everyone who have extended support to us. May the almighty God bless them all.”
The sister added: “It has been more than 10 months of waiting and we were struggling to collect money to repatriate my sister’s body. The family had started losing hope.”
Nakitende earlier said that the deceased came to the UAE on a visit visa in September 2021 to look for a job. But the family was shocked when they received the sad news of her death in December.
Sharifah is survived by her three children who are between 6 and 15 years, and her sisters, who are in Uganda. Her parents are no more.
Her body will be laid to rest on Saturday, November 19 in Mukono District, Uganda.
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