A C-130 military aircraft loaded with medical supplies from Egypt will land at the U.S. Dulles International Airport on Tuesday to help fight the coronavirus, an American official told The Washington Post on Monday.
The medical aid is a gesture meant to show support for President Donald Trump and the U.S.-Egypt alliance, the official added.
The supplies include anesthesia drugs and antibiotics as well as body bags, masks, and testing swab, according to a log provided by 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.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to protocol, confirmed to the Washington Post that the shipment is to arrive on Tuesday in Washington.
The Egyptian Embassy in Washington did not return calls from the U.S. paper.
Evans called the shipments “humanitarian aid” to the country of a president Sisi highly respects, the paper added.
“I know that firsthand, as I’ve been with him many times,” Evans said of Sisi’s affection for Trump.
“Egypt is showing its gratitude for the support it has received since President Trump was elected to office.” he added.
The shipments will be the latest from Egypt to countries severely-stricken with the coronavirus; China, Italy, and Britain.
In February, Egypt sent its Minister of Health Hala Zayed with ten tonnes of medical equipment and other items to China. Later in March, the country sent China additional protective aid.
Earlier this month, the North African country sent two military jets to Italy carrying medical equipment, protective suits, detergents, and sanitizers. A week earlier, Egypt sent 1 million medical masks to Italy.
And most recently 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, according to the Egyptian Health Ministry.
