Derna, October 14 / The United Arab Emirates has successfully completed thirty days of continuous humanitarian assistance and support to the brotherly Libyan people. This assistance aims to aid those impacted by Hurricane Daniel, which struck the Libyan city of Derna on September 10. The UAE orchestrated an operation involving 42 aircraft loaded with essential food supplies and medical provisions, totaling 967.6 tons.
The UAE's rapid response to aid our brothers in Libya and reach those afflicted and affected in record time represents a fundamental aspect of humanitarian work in the UAE. This is evident through the tireless efforts of the Emirati search and rescue team currently present in Libya as part of their ongoing humanitarian mission. They have played a crucial role in locating 274 missing individuals in Derna, Libya, diligently searching the city's coastline, rubble-strewn areas, and the hardest-hit zones.
The Emirati team has also supported the competent Libyan authorities and teams in assisting the affected and displaced people, providing them with aid and relief. They have also revealed the locations of victims of this disaster and retrieved bodies and body parts from homes, along the coastal areas, and under the debris.
On September 21, the Emirati Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team arrived in Libya, becoming the first in the world to reach Derna for these specific tasks. The team consists of experts, specialists, forensic experts, dentists, and DNA consultants equipped with advanced tools and equipment to handle mass fatalities.
The "Central Body Examination Line" was also inaugurated in the city of Derna, in accordance with a mandate from the Libyan Attorney General. Under the Emirati team's supervision and design, this facility includes 252 refrigeration units for body part preservation and four lines for body preservation. It is equipped with medical supplies and personal protective equipment to ensure public safety and uphold the quality of the procedures.
Upon receiving the initial list from the public prosecutor's office, the DVI team initiated contact with informants, the "families of the victims," conducting interviews, gathering information, and collecting DNA samples at two branches: the "Bab Tobrouk" Center and the "Shiha" Center, in coordination with the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons.
From the early days, the UAE Red Crescent team, currently stationed in the affected areas in eastern Libya, has been providing aid to those affected while assessing the on-ground conditions and determining the real, current needs to continue assistance through an ongoing airlift.
Ahmed Al Hajri, head of the UAE Red Crescent delegation in Libya, affirmed ongoing coordination with the Libyan Red Crescent Society to continue the distribution of food and medical supplies provided by the UAE to our Libyan brothers in the regions most affected by the disaster's repercussions and to reach displaced families in Libya.
Al-Hajri stated in a WAM news agency release that the Red Crescent teams are working to assess on-ground conditions and study the current real needs, preparing a range of humanitarian projects and initiatives in coordination with Libyan government agencies and organizations as part of the UAE's unlimited humanitarian support to our brothers in Libya.
The UAE Red Crescent Authority, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works are all participating in the relief campaign.