Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered aid worth Dh50 million ($13.6m) to be delivered to Pakistan to help thousands of people affected by devastating floods.
The food aid will be provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in co-operation with the World Food Programme and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.
The campaign to provide urgent aid is in line with the UAE's keenness to support those affected by natural disasters and crises globally.
On Friday, Emirates SkyCargo set up an airbridge between Dubai and Pakistan to offer cargo capacity free of charge on flights to transport relief aid to Pakistan.
Cargo capacity on all Emirates’ passenger flights to Pakistan will be available to organisations based at the International Humanitarian City to transport critical equipment and supplies, food and other emergency relief goods directly to five airports – Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot.
"To support communities in Pakistan affected by floods, Emirates is offering cargo capacity free of charge for NGOs to transport essential relief goods through the International Humanitarian City," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, president of Dubai Civil Aviation and chairman of Dubai Airports, said on Twitter.
The first Emirati relief plane flew on Monday morning to Pakistan and several more would fly in the coming days to provide support.
The UAE aid sent this week included about 3,000 tonnes of food supplies, medical and pharmaceutical items, as well as tents and materials for shelter.
The flooding in Pakistan has affected more than 33 million people from a population of 220 million and more than 1,100 people have been killed.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the flooding “the worst in the history of Pakistan”.
He said it would cost at least $10 billion to repair damaged infrastructure across the country.
The crisis has forced the government to declare a state of emergency, mobilise the army for relief efforts and call for international assistance.
Villages with weak infrastructure from the Sindh province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have been affected so far, with rescue teams struggling to access many areas.
