Biggest contingent seeking medical help to arrive in Delhi next week

India has teamed up with the United Arab Emirates in providing major humanitarian and post-traumatic medical support to the soldiers of Yemen who were injured in the ongoing war against the rebels of that country, a source familiar with the ongoing effort told The Hindu.

The operation has been intensified in the backdrop of this week’s visit by Foreign Minister of UAE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed.

“In the coming week, we are scheduled to receive the largest contingent of injured soldiers and civilians, including children, from Yemen,” said the person in charge of logistics on the Indian side. Sheikh Abdullah’s visit ended on Saturday and an aircraft from the UAE is expected to fly in 63 injured Yemenis and 27 caregivers and support staff early next week.

Humanitarian aid

“This is an initiative to showcase medical diplomacy of India and humanitarian work by the government of UAE and Red Crescent. This major service is possible because of the full coordination between India and the UAE,” said the source.

The civil war in Yemen between the government of the country and the rebels of the Houthi community has become a major international conflict. India evacuated its citizens from Yemen under an evacuation move titled ‘Operation Rahat’ in 2015 after an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and UAE intervened in Yemen.

In June, UAE Ambassador to India Ahmed Al Banna had conveyed that his country hoped that India would support the military campaign with diplomatic outreach in major global platforms. The official involved in the humanitarian support from India said that following a formal request from the UAE, India had hosted hundreds of Yemeni soldiers and civilians in 2017.

“Under the arrangement, these injured soldiers and civilians are brought to the VPS Rockland hospital’s branches in the national capital region,” said the source explaining that the patients with major injuries from blasts and battlefield wounds are evacuated from Aden and then flown to Delhi in specially fitted aircraft.

“The last major contingent of patients came in September 2017 in a UAE military aircraft that evacuated 45 soldiers for urgent medical treatment in India,” he said. “The upcoming medical contingent of patients will be supported by 10 medical professionals including paramedics, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists,” said a press release from VPS Rockland.

The youngest patient in the team is nine years old and several comatose patients with gun shot wounds and paralysis are being flown in this time. Most of them are expected to undergo orthopaedic, plastic, general and neurosurgery in order to make a full recovery.

The quiet UAE-India initiative has already created a record of sorts because of the complex third party coordination required, the source said. So far, India has treated victims from Iraq and Syria on a bilateral basis.

However this is the first time that such an operation is being conducted through support from a third country – the UAE.