UAE opens air bridge to send humanitarian aid to Pakistan

The UAE has begun operating an air bridge to transport humanitarian aid to those affected by the monsoon flooding in Pakistan. The death toll has reached 1,061 since June, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Monday, with 28 more people having died in the past 24 hours. The crisis has forced the government to declare a state of emergency, mobilise the army for relief efforts and call for international assistance. Villages with weak infrastructure from the Sindh province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have been affected so far, with rescue teams struggling to access many areas. The UAE's Ministry of Defence, represented by the Joint Operations Command, is overseeing the delivery of relief aid from the Emirates, which includes shelter materials, humanitarian needs, food and medical parcels. Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, the UAE's ambassador to Pakistan, said the first Emirati relief aid plane flew on Monday morning to Pakistan and will be followed by several more in the coming days to provide support.<br/>