São Paulo – The third plane carrying donations from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to those impacted by the floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state landed in the Latin American country on Thursday (23), after mobilizing members of the Brazilian community and others in the Arab country. Around 300 volunteers participated at the Dubai exhibition Center in Expo City earlier this week to organize the relief packages to be shipped.
This was part of a humanitarian initiative under the theme “Support the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul” in addressing the impact of the recent floods. This effort is being coordinated by a collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic A Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, Expo City Dubai and includes the participation of the ‘Day for Dubai’ volunteer program, and members of the Brazilian community in the UAE, state news agency WAM reported.
Three flights were sent to Brazil carrying donations from the UAE and the Brazilian community living in the country. Rio Grande do Sul-born Pedrollo, 51, who lives in Dubai, participated in the effort at Expo City on Wednesday. “I was born in Rio Grande do Sul, and this touches my heart a little deeper, but I believe every Brazilian living here is very sad and moved by the situation,” Pedrollo told WAM.
For his part, Sidney Leon Romeiro, ambassador of Brazil to the UAE, also participated in the volunteer effort and thanked the Arab country for its generosity. “On behalf of the government of Brazil, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of the United Arab Emirates for their generous humanitarian donation to the state of Rio Grande do Sul,” he said, calling the effort a demonstration of empathy, initiated by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, and highlighting it comes at a crucial moment.
Arab officials participated, too. “This initiative reflects the deep-rooted strategic partnership between the UAE and Brazil, and highlights the UAE’s continuous efforts to provide rapid responses to natural disasters wherever they occur in the world,” Al Shamsi, assistant minister of foreign affairs for development affairs and international organizations, told WAM
Donations from the UAE
According to information from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Brasília, the first plane landed in the Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo state on May 18, carrying 64 tons of cargo – 500 generators, 10 thousand packages with mosquito nets, 10 tons of hygiene products, 10 thousand blankets and 5 thousand solar lamps. The second arrived on Tuesday, May 21, weighing 69 tons and includes 500 electric generators, 10,000 blankets, 5,200 solar lamps, 3,000 mats, and 200 folding beds. Additionally, it carried 7 tons of food, including pasta, powdered milk, and baby food.
The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), that is affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, works in coordination with other federal and state agencies to examine each solidarity offer from other countries and how they can be used on the field. By Thursday, the Rio Grande do Sul tragedy had registered 163 dead, 72 missing, and hit 2.3 million people.
Read more:
Flood-hit Brazil receives foreign humanitarian aid
UAE to send 3 planes with donations to Brazil
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
