Middle East states offer aids to Kosovans
The Middle East countries are witnessing intensive moves to collect donations and dispatching tonnes of humanitarian aid and flying hospitals to Kosovo refugees since the very beginning of the NATO raids on Yugoslavia.
The Arab Gulf states which condemned the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo are at the forefront of countries which offered great aid to the Kosovo refugees.
Saudi Arabia has established an air bridge with Albania through which emergency aid is transported. In the meantime, some 2,000 tonnes of palms are transported to Tirana and Skooby, while the Saudi air force is transporting tonnes of medicines and other aid materials to the mobile hospital held in Albania.
The United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, sent some 25 planes loaded with aid and rescue teams, while four UAE helicopters positioned in Tirana are transporting aid to the refugees. The UAE also prepared a camp for accommodating the refugees, provided with a hospital in Kokis. It also financed an airport for transferring humanitarian aids to Kosovo's refugees.
In Kuwait, the solidarity day with Kosovo resulted in collecting some US $13 million, while the ruler of Kuwait's donation was US $1 million.
In Doha the campaign for donations resulted in collecting US $4 million and half a tonne of gold. Convoys loaded with relief materials were also sent to Albania from Qatar.
Bahrain offered some 50 tonnes of aid, and a bank was established in Muscat to collect donations for the refugees.
Yemen, on the other hand, also sent aid to Kosovo, while Iran who is the current president of the OIC intensified its contacts in providing further humanitarian aid to Kosovo.
Egypt, for its part sent some 132 tonnes of aid to Kosovo and Egyptian Minister of Health Ismael Salam carried out operations for wounded people in Tirana, while the Egyptian red crescent opened bank accounts in an Egyptian bank to collect donations.
In Sudan an institution for charity collected donations estimated at US $104,000, and Jordan sent some 20 tonnes of aid distributed by Queen Rania, wife of Jordanian King Abdullah.