By IINA,
Abu Dhabi : The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) will begin airlifting relief supplies to Southern Sudan next week. As per the directives of Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the RCA Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the charity body will begin airlifting medical equipment, medicines, foodstuff and other items as part of a grand mission to help the displaced person in Southern Sudan. As part of the mission, three aircrafts laden with the relief supplies will leave UAE to Juba, the capital of the autonomous government of Southern Sudan. A delegation of the RCA will accompany the mission along with a medical team which will attend to chronic medical cases. Special attention will be given to eye diseases which are common in South Sudan.
Commenting on the RCA mission, Dr. Abdullah Al Kaabi, chairman of the RCA Board of Directors, said the charity body is keen to ameliorate the suffering of those who had been hard hit by war-induced displacements in recent years. ” Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed has attached a great importance to the relief mission in Sudan in general and Darfur and Southern Sudan in particular. Sheikh Hamdan has personally been following this mission very closely and has directed us to do everything within our power to help in the resettlement of the displaced persons”, WAM reported quoting Dr. Al Kaabi as saying.
Al Kaabi revealed that the RCA has lined up a number of relief projects, including development projects aimed at effecting permanent resettlement of the displaced persons.
“These projects will constitute a qualitative leap as resettlement of people will be linked to their livelihood”, said Dr. Al Kaabi. He added that health will be given utmost attention because without health there can be no investments in human resources. “Healthcare institutions have been terribly affected by years of civil unrest. That is why we are sending a team of surgeons, especially eye specialists to attend to eye diseases which are widespread in Southern Sudan. These specialists will conduct operations free of charge”, he said.