Dnata Cargo, the handling operator at all of Dubai’s air cargo terminals, has received kudos from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for its role in facilitating and providing humanitarian aid during the tsunami relief efforts.
Philip Jones, charge d’affaires of the IFRC in Dubai, yesterday presented a certificate of appreciation to Ismail Ali Albanna, Executive Vice President Dnata and Jean Pierre DePauw, Dnata Cargo’s Senior Vice President.
Mr. Jones said: “On behalf of the IFRC, I would like to express appreciation to Dnata for their tremendous support during the tsunami relief efforts. Within a few days after the disaster, hundreds of tonnes of aid supplies passed through Dubai International Airport’s Cargo Terminals as aid agencies and relief flight operators galvanized into action.
“During this critical time, the Dnata Cargo team often went beyond the call of duty to provide all possible support to aid agencies and relief flight operators, and ensure that last minute cargo handling deadlines were met with efficiency and professionalism.”
Accepting the appreciation certificate on behalf of Dnata Cargo, Mr. Albanna said: “Dnata is glad to have been able to have played a part in the tsunami relief efforts. We are proud of our staff for their dedication in contributing professional expertise, as well as personal resources and time. To receive this recognition from the IFRC is very gratifying for the team.”
In addition to cargo handling support, Dnata staff also donated over eight thousand dirhams to buy medicines for the victims in the affected regions and contributed to frontline relief efforts, where several staff members were mobilized with the Dubai-based Airport Emergency Team (AET) to organize the flow of relief supplies at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Dnata and other divisions of the Emirates Group contributed 42 boxes of relief supplies weighing nearly three tonnes to the Indonesian Consulate in Dubai.
Mr. Depauw said: “Supporting humanitarian efforts is an ongoing exercise at Dnata Cargo. Supplies such as clothes, medicine, water and foodstuffs are frequently collected through voluntary contributions, consolidated by Dnata and then sent to worthy organizations in various countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Eritrea, Philippines and Somalia.”
Dnata Cargo recently collected and sent 34 cartons of clothes, weighing over a tonne, to the needy in Iraq through Human Appeal International.
