Etihad team visiting the Rohingya camp in Bangladesh.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) has
launched a humanitarian aid mission in support of Rohingya refugee
families. The campaign commenced with the distribution of garments, dry
food packages, and blankets to more than 3,000 Rohingya families in
Bahukhali Bazar in Bangladesh.
The
initiative is funded by the generous miles donations of Etihad Guest
members, in addition to donations made at various Abu Dhabi-based
sporting and social events, as well as the electronic Dirham initiative.
The
mission also included humanitarian aid distribution at a hospital
jointly operated by Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.
The
EAG delegation included Khaled Al Mehairbi, Senior Vice President
& General Manager of Etihad Airport Services - Ground, and CSR
Strategy, Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President Global Airports, and Dougie
Douglas, General Manager, commercial activities in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
and Nepal.
Earlier
this year, EAG announced a year-long programme of activities and
humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed.
Al
Mehairbi said: “Today, the Rohingya are in dire circumstances and it is
incumbent upon us to do all we can to support them. Driven by our
founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed’s decades-long charitable
activities, Etihad Aviation Group is hoping to play a small role in
alleviating the Rohingya’s current conditions.”
In
recent months, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled violence to
Cox's Bazaar - a district in Bangladesh. The vast majority are women and
children, including new-born babies. It is known as the fastest-growing
refugee emergency in the world. Many refugees have experienced extreme
trauma, both from the attacks and the difficult journey to the
Bangladeshi border. They arrive hungry, in poor physical condition and
in desperate need of life-saving support.
Implemented
via an agreement between EAG and the UAE Embassy in Bangladesh, this
humanitarian mission was undertaken in cooperation with the Emirates Red
Crescent and the Bangladeshi Red Crescent.
The UAE government has already pledged US$7 million in support of the Rohingya community.
During the past five years, EAG has also supported refugees in Greece, Serbia, Lebanon and Jordan.
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