UAE sends three tonnes of meningitis and flu vaccines to Libya

Medical supplies will be enough to treat 30,000 people in Derna

A UAE plane carrying three tonnes of medical aid arrived at Benghazi's airport in Libya on Friday. Wam

The UAE has sent three tonnes of meningitis and influenza vaccines to Libya as part of its humanitarian drive to help the victims of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel, which led to the death of thousands.

Officials said the aid, comprising 90,000 doses of meningitis and flu vaccines, would be enough to treat 30,000 people.

The plane carrying the shipment arrived at Benghazi International Airport on Friday, state news agency Wam reported.

The vaccines are to be transferred to Derna, in co-ordination with Libyan health authorities.

Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation for International Development Affairs, said the aid would help to improve preventive measures and ease the suffering of the families of the victims and missing.

This month, UAE search-and-rescue teams helped to locate 229 missing people in Libya.

The UAE team also assisted Libyan authorities and teams in helping those displaced by the flooding, providing aid and relief.

They helped to find those killed in the disaster and retrieve the remains from houses, beaches and beneath debris.

Experts in forensic medicine, dentistry, genetic fingerprinting and forensic evidence worked to identify the victims.