On Friday, Dubai’s Princess Haya arrived in Port-au-Prince to deliver 90 metric tons of humanitarian aid for the people of Haiti, following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake more than 10 days earlier. The Princess did this as a U.N. Messenger of Peace, and the supplies came from the International Humanitarian City (IHC), a global humanitarian and aid hub in Dubai which she is chairwoman of. This airlift was done out of the request of the UN World Food Program (WFP).
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/FILE
“The entire world grieves for the suffering in Haiti. Dubai may be far away, but we join in reaching out to Haitian families who have lost so much and are struggling now just to survive,” said Haya. “The sad truth is that Haiti has long been neglected. This earthquake is a collective wake-up call for the international community. Yes, we need to deliver food, medicines and water today — fast. But we must stay committed to Haitians as they rebuild. After decades of failed aid, Haiti is the poorest and hungriest place in the Americas. We cannot let that stand.”
40 of the 90 metric tons were that of food, while the rest were that of hospital tents, water sanitation equipment, prefabricated offices, and computer and telecommunications equipment.
While in Haiti, the Princess met with the country’s top officials, plus United Nations officials.
She returned to Amman, Jordan, the country she was born and raised in, with 21 evacuees who originate from the Middle East. Upon boarding the plane with them, the evacuees applauded Haya and hugged her. Some of them had small children with them.
When Haya landed in Amman, she was welcomed by her brother, Prince Ali who is currently serving as regent as King Abdullah II is on state visits. The two siblings hugged and held hands, as Ali proudly showed he was proud of his sister.
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