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Dubai / Emirates Business
The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), has expanded its presence and intensified its efforts in the various areas of the world hit by crises and disasters, said HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC.
According to the report, the ERC’s programmes for overseas humanitarian assistance, relief operations, development projects and sponsoring of orphans, reached AED514.071 million in 2017, benefiting thousands of affected people around the world.
The report said relief operations in 2017 stood at AED243.6 million, most of which went to Yemen, Syrian refugees, Somalia, Sudan and Mexico.
In 2017, the ERC also provided assistance to several countries to help them mitigate damages caused by natural disasters such as floods, heavy rains, earthquakes, drought and desertification.
The ERC was also active in re-construction and infrastructure projects in the disaster-hit countries, as well as projects to minimise impacts of armed conflicts and destruction in war-torn countries.
The ERC implemented 9,834 development projects at a total cost of AED108.4 million. Countries benefiting from this included Yemen, Ethiopia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Sudan, Niger, India, Indonesia, Uganda, Pakistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Togo, Sierra Leon, Ghana, Kirgizia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali and Mauritania.
The ERC also provided miscellaneous assistance to individuals and NGOs in several countries, in addition to implementing programmes for the Holy Month of Ramadan and Eid Al Adha, totalling AED21.8 million and benefiting 709,798 people and 220 local organisations in 60 countries.
The number of orphans who benefited from the ERC sponsorship programme in 2017 reached 88,451 in 19 countries, at a total value of AED140,099 million.
Last year also saw the ERC sponsoring 926 poor families, 623 people of determination and 136 students in a number of countries.
“Thanks to the directives and humanitarian initiatives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the ERC has come a long way in social empowerment and comprehensive development works in the hotbeds of humanitarian disasters,” Sheikh Hamdan said in a statement to mark the release of ERC’s annual report for 2017.