Three Egyptian planes and a second Emirati plane loaded with aid arrived at Damascus International Airport

Damascus (ST): Three  Egyptian planes and a second Emirati plane arrived at Damascus International Airport, loaded with humanitarian and relief aid, medical materials and tents to help those affected by the earthquake that struck Syria.

The Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Eng. Hussein Makhlouf, said in a statement from Damascus Airport: “We thank the Arab Republic of Egypt, the leadership, government and people, and we say to them: The Syrian people will remember everyone who gives them a helping hand, especially in these circumstances that the country is going through as a result of the devastating earthquake.”

Makhlouf added: “Rescue efforts are the first priority, then providing medical aid and hospitalization for the injured and sheltering those who left their homes to provide them with everything necessary for them in full, in addition to examining the structural strength of the houses that were cracked, and all this in the context of integration between all ministries and state institutions and between the efforts of the local community, organizations and federations, in addition to the support that the Syrian Arab Republic received from brothers and friends, which expresses the status of the Syrian people and the Syrian state in those countries.

Makhlouf explained that the available capabilities are being invested to the fullest extent through the operating rooms, whether central or subsidiary in the governorates, indicating that at every moment there are new additional capabilities that speed up the process of removing the rubble to extract those trapped under it, and we always affirm that the calamities bring the people together and everyone takes the initiative.

Earlier, Egypt announced sending military planes loaded with urgent medical aid to Syria.

For his part, the representative of the Emirates Red Crescent offered condolences to the families of the earthquake victims, wishing recovery for the wounded and for those trapped under the rubble to be recovered, pointing out that the UAE leadership represented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, called for standing with our brothers in Syria to deliver humanitarian and relief aid to the affected people in the governorates hit by the earthquake, indicating that other shipments will arrive in Syria in the coming days.

Meanwhile, a Libyan plane arrived at Aleppo International Airport, loaded with medical, food and humanitarian aid to help those affected by the earthquake.

Member of the executive office of Aleppo Governorate Council, Dr. Abdul Qadir Dawalibi, said in a statement to news reporter that the Libyan plane was carrying 40 tons of humanitarian aid, consisting of foodstuffs, medical supplies, blankets, and an ambulance, to support the shelters in Aleppo governorate.

K.Q.