First Ukraine, now Australia: Singapore receives another round of thanks for helping

Weeks of rains and devastating floods have left Australian authorities struggling to rush food and essential supplies to the worst-hit areas.

In response to this disaster, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on Tuesday (March 8) deployed two CH-47F Chinook helicopters to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in its flood relief efforts.

Their efforts have not gone unrecognised.

Australians headed to social media platform Twitter to post their thoughts on not just the floods happening across the nation's east but also about how they felt about Singapore's involvement in the relief efforts.

There were over 50 tweets from Australians thanking Singapore at the time of writing. 

One tweeted about how appreciative they were towards "a small nation" like Singapore for "sending aid to Australia in time of need".

The user continued by noting Singapore's success as a nation, attributing it to "their organisation and dedication to be the best".

Another user tweeted "wondering why the Singapore Air Force can operate in the rain" but not theirs while a rather tongue-in-cheek tweet alluded to Singapore's strict laws against chewing gum, littering and jaywalking.

Over on Facebook, a familiar name appeared in the comments section of a Defence Australia post uploaded on Monday.

Amidst the many comments from Australian netizens thanking Singapore for the assistance was local actor Hossan Leong with a simple "good on ya" message directed towards the RSAF.

Apart from the two helicopters, Singapore also offered a relief package that includes tents, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water and medical supplies.

This pat on the back from an international ally has come soon after Ukraine praised Singapore for overtly taking a stand against Russia's invasion of their nation. 

Last Monday, Singapore's United Nations (UN) ambassador Burhan Gafoor delivered a speech condemning Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and received a hug from Ukraine's UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya thereafter.

Kyslytsya also tweeted a photograph of himself standing before the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore - United Nations in New York, which was lit in Ukrainian flag colours.

ALSO READ: Torrential rain hits Sydney; flood warnings stretch across Australia's east coast

amierul@asiaone.com