Egyptian military plane with coronavirus medical supplies lands in U.S.
A C-130 military aircraft loaded with medical supplies arrived in Washington from Egypt on Tuesday to help fight the coronavirus, Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady announced on Facebook page.
The supplies include protective suits, anesthesia drugs and antibiotics as well as body bags, masks, and testing swab.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered to send a military aircraft loaded with the needed medical aid to the U.S., according to a video posted on the spokesman’s Facebook page.
“This aid comes as a continuation of Egypt’s pioneering role to assist friendly and fraternal countries in this critical phase the world is witnessing,” Rady added.
In response to the aid, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen posted a video on both Facebook page and twitter to thank the Egyptian government and people:
“On behalf of the American people, the U.S. government, and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, I want to thank the government and people of Egypt for their generous contribution of medical supplies which will help us confront the COVID-19 crisis,” Ambassador Cohen said.
“At this difficult time, a generous donation like the one you just made is a great symbol of our solidarity and the value you place in our strategic partnership.” he added.
بالنيابة عن الشعب الأمريكي والحكومة الأمريكية والسفارة الأمريكية بالقاهرة، السفير الأمريكي جوناثان كوهين يتقدم بالشكر للحكومة المصرية والشعب المصري على إسهامكم الكريم بالإمدادات الطبية التي ستساعدنا في مواجهة أزمة جائحة COVID-19.
🇪🇬🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/W6zBBKs2xx— US Embassy Cairo (@USEmbassyCairo) April 21, 2020
Mike Evans, a Texas writer and Christian activist who has advised Trump and met frequently with Middle Eastern leaders including Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, called the shipments “humanitarian aid” to the country of a president Sisi highly respects, the Washington Post reported on Monday.
The shipments are the latest from Egypt to countries severely-stricken with the coronavirus; China, Italy, and Britain.
In February, Egypt sent a delegation headed by Minister of Health Hala Zayed with ten tonnes of medical equipment and other items to China. Later in March, it had also sent China additional protective aid.
In early April, Egypt sent two military jets to Italy loaded with medical equipment, protective suits, detergents, and sanitizers. A week earlier, it sent 1 million medical masks to Italy.
Last week, Egypt sent a large number of medical gowns to the UK.
The shipments to the U.S. come a few days after Egypt had received four tonnes of medical protective supplies from China to help it combat the coronavirus pandemic.
