By Mabinty M. Kamara
In an effort to save the lives of people affected by the Wellington fuel tanker disaster, Sierra Leoneyesterday, 9th November 2021 received another consignment of 15 tons of assorted medical supplies mainly for treating burns, from the people and government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Receiving the consignment on behalf of the people and government of Sierra Leone, at the Freetown International Airport, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demy said they have been able to deploy all of their available local resources into the response, noting it was overwhelming, and so they had to extend their hand for support from development partners like the UAE.
“There is a lot of iv fluids here, there is a lot of gauzes here, there is a lot of pain killers in there, there is a lot of bandages, and anti-biotics, all intended to make sure that we give comfort and care to the people that are in hospitals right now. I want to take this opportunity to really reach out and express our deepest gratitude to the government and people of UAE,” he said, noting that they are a “friend indeed”.
The Minister said that the next thirty days are going to be critical and that they are going to intensify efforts to save the lives of the survivors. He assured that the Government would do all its best to ensure that survivors recover fully.
However, he said it’s a hard moment for Sierra Leoneans particularly the affected families, and therefore encouraged everyone to join the national efforts to provide care and comfort for both the victims and the families of the deceased.
The Health Minister lauded Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the UAE, Rashid Sesay for promptly engaging the UAE authorities while describing him as a strong advocate for Sierra Leone in the UAE.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the UAE has been a close friend of Sierra Leone both in terms of grief and joy. “Quite a few Sierra Leoneans have benefitted from a wide range of interests including in trade, investment and agriculture, renewable energy mining and industry, tourism, health, and education, as well as cultural and political ties,” he said.
He added that the foreign policy shift of the government of Sierra Leone from Economic to development diplomacy which is anchored in the belief that development should be holistic and multi-dimensional is to create the enabling atmosphere for business. He added that the UAE also supported Sierra Leone in the fight against covid-19 among other support rendered such as scholarship opportunities for learning.
In his statement, the Chief Corporate Service Officer of the National Disaster Management Agency, Kai Banya said since the establishment of the agency in November last year, they have responded to over 70 disasters nationwide with two major fire incidents at the Susan’s Bay a few months ago and the recent one at Wellington in Freetown.
He expressed thanks and appreciation to the government and people of the UAE for their timely intervention, adding it would form part of their recovery programme.
Sierra Leone also received on Sunday 7th November 1tonne of 6.6 tons of medical supplies designated by the World Health Organization for the Wellington fire disaster victims.
Copyright © Politico Online 10/11/21
