STORY: China's urgent relief supplies arrive in floods-hit Libya
DATELINE: Sept. 25, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:54
LOCATION: TRIPOLI
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the cargo plane
2. various of the supplies arriving
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LIU JIAN, Chinese Charge d'Affaires to Libya
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): KHALED AL-SAYAH, Libyan Charge d'Affaires to China

STORYLINE:

Carrying 90 tons of emergency humanitarian aid to floods-hit Libya, a Chinese cargo plane arrived Sunday at the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

First aid kits, water purifiers, tents, blankets, ultrasound diagnostic systems, life jackets, and other relief materials were unloaded at the Benina International Airport, in the presence of Omar Abu-Dabous, the secretary-general of the Libyan Red Crescent, as well as senior Libyan and Chinese diplomats.

On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel triggered Libya's worst floods in decades, resulting in the death of thousands and widespread damage to the region's infrastructure, especially water supply and sewage infrastructure.

Water contamination has led to the poisoning of dozens of people, mainly children, in floods-hit areas where access to clean water was limited, according to Libyan authorities.

Witnessing the handover at the airport, Chinese Charge d'Affaires to Libya Liu Jian said it is hoped that Chinese aid would assist Libya in overcoming the effects of the disaster and getting the affected areas back to normal.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LIU JIAN, Chinese Charge d'Affaires to Libya
"As you know, there is a real deep friendship between China and Libya. Despite the long distance between China and Libya, the two peoples have been sharing good and hard times and exchanging support over the past 45 years since the diplomatic exchange between the two countries began. We are following up the latest developments and since the floods started to hit Libya, the Chinese Red Cross Society provided an urgent cash assistance of 200,000 U.S. dollars to the Libyan Red Crescent Society. We hope that the Chinese aid would help Libya overcome the crisis and rebuild the country. Thank you."

China remains ready to keep communicating and coordinating with the Libyan authorities to provide more support for Libya in its rescue and relief operation and reconstruction work, he noted.

Also at the airport, Libyan Charge d'Affaires to China Khaled Al-Sayah told Xinhua that the timely support from China reflects the deep friendship between the two countries.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): KHALED AL-SAYAH, Libyan Charge d'Affaires to China
"The Government of National Unity is constantly coordinating and contacting all diplomatic missions and international organizations to provide help to Libya against the floods that hit the eastern part of the country. As the Libyan Charge d'Affaires to the People's Republic of China, I thank the (Chinese) government and the people of the People's Republic of China for providing this aid. The aid arrived with a delegation headed by the Chinese Charge d'Affaires to Libya. The airplane has arrived carrying tons of aid that would have a positive impact in easing the suffering of the people affected by the disaster. The Secretary-General of the Libyan Red Crescent Society received the aid. We wish this natural disaster is the last disaster in this country and we hope this aid would ease the suffering of the people in the East."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tripoli.
(XHTV)