UAE completes 30 days of support to flood-hit Libyans in Derna

The United Arab Emirates has completed thirty days of humanitarian giving and continued support to the brotherly Libyan people, in order to help those affected by Hurricane Daniel, which hit the Libyan city of Derna on Sept.10, overcome the repercussions of the disaster.

The UAE through an air bridge has dispatched 42 planes loaded with basic foodstuffs and medical supplies, with a total load of 967.6 tonnes. The Emirati response to relief the Libyan brothers and access to the afflicted and affected in record time translate the humanitarian work in the UAE.

The efforts of the Emirati search and rescue team present in Libya contributed to finding 274 missing people in Derna, Libya, after tireless work on the city's coasts, under rubble and in the most affected areas.

The team also contributed to supporting the Libyan authorities and teams in helping the affected and displaced people, providing them with aid and relief, uncovering the locations of the victims and recovering bodies from homes, on the sea coast and under the rubble.

On September 21, the UAE Disaster Victim Identification Team (DVI) arrived in Libya. It is the first in the world to arrive in Derna to carry out these qualitative tasks. The team comprises a group of experts, specialists and consultants of forensics, dentistry and DNA, equipped with advanced equipment and tools for dealing with mass deaths.

The 'Central Body Inspection Line' was also launched in the city of Derna, under the mandate of the Libyan Attorney General, under the supervision and design of the Emirati team. It consists of 252 refrigeration units to preserve the remains and four lines for preserving bodies, in addition to medical equipment and personal protection in line with maintaining public safety and taking into account the quality of outputs.

Upon receipt of the initial list from the Attorney General's Office, the DVI team began communicating with whistleblowers, interviewing them, collecting information from them and taking DNA samples at two branches, namely “Tobruk Gate Center” and the “Shiha Center”.

Since the first days, the Emirates Red Crescent team, which is currently present in the affected areas in eastern Libya, has been delivering aid to the affected people. In addition, it assesses the situation on the ground, and studies the current actual needs to provide more of them through continuous airlift flights.

Ahmed Al Hajri, head of the Emirates Red Crescent delegation in Libya, confirmed that coordination is underway with the Libyan Red Crescent Society to continue distributing foodstuffs and medical and health supplies provided by the UAE to the Libyan brothers in the areas most affected by the repercussions of the disaster.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Hajri said, “The ERC teams are working to assess the field conditions and study the current actual needs to provide more of them, by preparing a number of humanitarian projects and initiatives within the framework of the unlimited humanitarian support from the UAE to the brothers in Libya.”

The Emirates Red Crescent, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Humanitarian Foundation and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment are participating in the relief campaign.