Egypt sent on Saturday three jets loaded with 28 tons of food and medical aid to Beirut under a direct airlift operated to provide assistance to the heavily burdened Lebanese capital after a deadly blast this month put its toll on the once lively capital’s daily life.

The aid was sent jointly by the government and several non-governmental organisations, including Misr El-Kheir, the Egyptian Red Crescent, and Mersal.

Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Yasser Elwi said 21 Egyptian doctors arrived in Lebanon through the direct airlift as part of the medical relief efforts.

Elwi added that 12 planes loaded with a total of 220 tons of aid from Egypt will arrive in Lebanon in the coming two weeks, with three planes sent to Beirut every two days until the end of the month.

Following the explosion, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced opening an air bridge to the Lebanese capital to deliver medical aid, food, specialised medical teams, construction materials and glass panels for reconstruction.