This landlord can teach us a thing about compassion

With reference to Anam Rizvi's story Coronavirus: Dubai landlord hailed a hero after offering tenant Dh100,000 rent reprieve (November 12): it is often in times of adversity that we learn about the kindness of strangers. And we have a responsibility to pay it forward when we are able, to allow such unconditional support to open our worlds and make us more compassionate.

Mr El Ard is a hero, indeed deserving of praise and support, as are others who help out in their own way. Here's sending a warm thought for all of those who are doing what they can to help others, no matter how small it might seem. We will all have to live with the decisions we make during this fraught period in history.

Name withheld upon request, Dubai

Vaccine should be made available to developing nations too 

With reference to Simon Rushton's report UK snaps up Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine in bid to immunise 2.5 million people (November 16): as the world expects a vaccine to counter the spread of the coronavirus, there is anxiety about its availability and how long the process is likely to take. Even though we don't know the time frame, that it is on the horizon gives comfort to a lot of people, especially the elderly and people with underlying health issues. However, developed countries with advanced medical facilities must support developing nations with large vulnerable communities, who may not be able to afford the vaccine in large quantities.

Ramachandran Nair, Muscat

Happy Independence Day, Suriname

This is with reference to my country, Suriname, mentioned in the article Amazon countries meet to bolster rainforest protection (September 7, 2019): living in Dubai for two years, everyday I have to tell people where Suriname is. It is the same for the other 25-30 Surinamese I know who live here. Unfortunately, we do not yet have an embassy or consulate in the UAE and nobody seems to really know about our beautiful land.

Some readers may wonder what or where Suriname is. It is the smallest country in South America, a very fertile land in the north between Guyana and French Guyana and above Brazil and 95 per cent of it is tropical rainforest.

The small population of about 600,000 people are descendants of Africans, Indians, Chinese, Javanese and of course the indigenous inhabitants, indigenous American Indians. And I just wanted to share with readers that on November 25, the Republic of Suriname will celebrate its 45th independence day.

Cathrin Carter Judell, Dubai