UAE to bear treatment cost of 100 Somalis injured in recent suicide attacks

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, on Wednesday announced it would bear the treatment cost of 100 Somalis who were injured in Saturday's suicide blasts in the capital, Mogadishu, and would take care of children of those injured in the attacks.

The UAE said that it would also rush urgent medical supplies and medicines to Somali hospitals to increase their capacities to provide healthcare to the increasing number of injured people.

The humanitarian gestures were in response to the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, with the support of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Dhafra Region and President of Emirates Red Crescent, ERC.

The ERC has immediately swept into action by taking urgent measures to airlift seriously injured Somalis to Kenya for medical treatment. The ERC said it would do whatever it takes to provide healthcare to those injured and alleviate their suffering and comfort their families.

''The leadership's directives came within the UAE’s humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people and improve their humanitarian conditions,'' Sheikh Hamdan said.

''The UAE leadership has been following with grave concern the evolving developments in Somalia given the tragic consequences on the Somali people who have been experiencing scourges of conflicts and disasters,'' he added.

Sheikh Hamdan further stated that the latest humanitarian gesture comes at a time when the Somali people are in desperate need of support to overcome their difficult situation.

He informed that the ERC office in Mogadishu has immediately acted to implement the instructions of the leadership by facilitating travel of those critically injured to Kenya, in co-ordination with the UAE Embassy in Mogadishu and relevant Somali and Kenyan authorities.

''The ERC will spare no effort to undertake its humanitarian duty towards the Somali people until their plight is over,'' he stressed.

Sheikh Hamdan also announced that the ERC would take care of 300 orphans, who lost their families in the explosions, for six months, after which they will be included in the orphans’ sponsorship programme.