ABU DHABI: The UAE today sent an aircraft carrying 33 tonnes of food supplies to support the people of Afghanistan affected by the earthquake that struck northwest of Herat, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, including women and children, and serious damage to infrastructure.

The relief aid was accumulated through the collective efforts of several of the UAE's humanitarian organizations, including the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development and International Organizations Affairs, said, “This urgent relief shipment of food supplies, sent as part of a collaboration between the UAE's humanitarian and charity organizations, is in line with our efforts to provide urgent supplies to other countries during times of crisis, especially natural disasters. Such crises result in significant shortages of food and medical supplies, and require a rapid response to support affected people, especially women, children and the elderly.”

Al Shamsi stressed that the UAE was among the first responders in providing support and assisting the people of Afghanistan to mitigate the impact of the earthquake, adding that this reflects the UAE's firm commitment to providing support and urgent relief to countries and peoples of the world during times of crisis, an approach that UAE has continued to follow since it was initiated by the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and continued by directives from the UAE's leadership.