Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, upon request of the humanitarian community, has ordered an aid flight to transport much needed aid to volcano-hit Goma in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The International Humanitarian City in Dubai (IHC) has charted the aid flight which left Dubai  from Al Maktoum International Airport at DWC to Kigali in Rwanda, to deliver aid in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 93 metric tons of aid contains water purification kits from the WFP’s UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD), and Shelter Relief Items & PPE from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), all which are prepositioned in IHC warehouses in Dubai to assist the humanitarian crisis building up in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Giuseppe Saba, Chief Executive Officer of International Humanitarian City, said: “Thanks to the kind generosity and on-going support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the International Humanitarian City in Dubai is able to respond rapidly to evolving crises globally and help those most in need. The on-going battle against COVID-19 throughout the world, has made these humanitarian efforts and aid flights even more important. The IHC in Dubai, along with its members, and the help of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, will continue to work at pace to serve humanity.”

Ilir Caushaj, Head of IFRC’s Global Fleet and Logistics Hub in Dubai, said: “the Global Logistics Hub of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Dubai is responding to the Goma volcano eruption in Rwanda by sending in an aid flight various items such as “blankets, shelter toolkits, kitchen sets, personal protection equipment, mosquito nets and others”, to alleviate the suffering of those affected people. The aid flight is expected to support 20,000 beneficiaries, with a total cost of CHF 233,000”.

He added: “The International Federation is expressing its appreciation for the continuous support provided by the International Humanitarian City and by the Government of Dubai, which contributes to alleviate the human suffering around the world”.

Belkacem Benzaza, UNHRD Dubai Hub Manager said: “Thanks to the in-kind flight generously provided by IHC, WFP-UNHRD in Dubai was able to facilitate the deployment of Action Against Hunger’s humanitarian equipment to Kigali to provide much needed access to safe drinking water to over 20,000 people affected by the recent volcano eruption in Goma, DRC”.