Two Egyptian aircraft carrying relief supplies arrived, on Monday, at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanese capital Beirut.
The shipment comes as part of an air bridge set up in the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion almost two weeks ago. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi directed for the support to be sent to the Lebanese people to help them in overcoming the ordeal. The explosion, which caused extensive damage throughout the Lebanese capital, left 177 dead and injured about 6,000.
The recent two shipments, the seventh and eighth to Lebanon, included over 28 tonnes of relief, food, and medical supplies. They were received by Egypt’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Yasser Alawi, Egypt’s Consul General Ahmed Imam, representatives from the Military Liaison Office at the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut, and Brigadier General Suheil Negm in behalf of Commander of the Lebanese Army Joseph Aoun.
Within 24 hours of the Beirut explosion, Egypt had ordered for support to be sent to the Lebanese people by establishing an urgent air bridge between Cairo and Beirut. The air bridge is designed to transport large quantities of medicine, surgical tools, medical supplies, and specialised teams of doctors and surgeons.
The Egyptian relief air bridge also included tens of tonnes of basic foodstuffs, especially flour, to ensure that bakeries and ovens can continue functioning. Lebanon’s strategic stocks of wheat and flour were lost in the explosion, due to the country’s main grain storage silo’s location at the Beirut port.
