Abu Dhabi: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday received David Muldrow Beasley, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, at Qasr Al Watan.
They reviewed the role humanitarian and charity organisations played in helping underprivileged nations survive the COVDI-19 pandemic.
Sheikh Mohammed and Beasley highlighted the difficult conditions poor people worldwide are facing due to the pandemic and the difficulties they are encountering to meet their food and medical supplies and needs, in the presence of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Beasley hailed the significant humanitarian role played by the UAE through its charity and humanitarian organisations toward needy populations across the world, particularly third world and African nations without discrimination.
He highlighted the major humanitarian missions carried out by Dubai’s International Humanitarian City in providing essential food supplies through airlifts and land bridges despite the tough transportation and traffic conditions caused by the current health crisis.
Beasley commended the tremendous efforts of Sheikh Mohammed and his personal follow-up of all these noble missions, which, he said, are reflective of the genuine humanitarian values upheld by the UAE, leadership, government and people.
He underlined the importance of Dubai in particular, and the UAE in general as a significant logistics hub to streamline provision of humanitarian assistance despite all challenges.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director General of Dubai’s Protocol Department, were also present.