Italian aid for Syria leaves Pisa airport

Kamel Ghribi announced apropos of the decision to send aid to Syria: “We feel it our duty to give our contribution. This operation is possible thanks to the support of the Farnesina and the Ministry of Defence. We are a strong group ready to be at the service of a great country”.

This morning, the Air Force planes took off from Pisa military airport to transport the humanitarian aid that the San Donato Group is sending to Syria. The Syrian Red Crescent will receive and distribute the aid that consists of four ambulances, medicine, medical devices and clothing for a total of about 50,000 items.

In addition to the ambulances and goods designated as emergecy assistance, the San Donato Group has also sent a qualified professional team of medical specialists who will offer all the necessary help to their Syrian colleagues already on site. An initial team left just this morning to verify the type of assistance needed and will be joined on the spot by other specialists who will be called in according to need as per the Red Crescent requests.

The operation to send the materials was carried out thanks to the collaboration between the San Donato Group and the Italian Government. In particular, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Defence Guido Crosetto, who ensured the necessary support and provided access to the aeroplanes that will transport the materials. 

San Donato Group Vice-President Kamel Ghribi and Farnesina Secretary General Ambassador Ettore Sequi, and Minister Tajani were present in Pisa on the sidelines of the GSD operation to send the materials.

GSD Vice-President Kamel Ghribi said:
"The tragedy that has struck the populations of Turkey and Syria has aroused worldwide grief and emotion, and we, as the main private healthcare operator of a large country like Italy, felt a duty to intervene by offering our contribution.
We are aware that the emergency is such that no one entity alone can make a difference, and this is precisely why we need the contribution of as many public and private actors as possible.

The way in which the collaboration with the government has developed confirms to us that public-private partnership is the most effective way to achieve results and objectives. This is why our perspective is that of a large group at the service of a large country'.