Abu Dhabi: The Red Crescent Authority (RCA) says it will intensify its efforts in Ramadan to provide assistance to those less fortunate not only in the UAE, but all over the world.
Several projects to help the needy are planned. Currently, 4,000 families, comprising 30,000 individuals are registered with the RCS for the help and the number of needy is expected to rise.
Red Crescent General Secretary Mohammad Al Qumzi told Gulf News: "The aim of this campaign is to collect Dh100 million for several projects: ‘Iftar Sa'em' [ending fast for the needy], Eid clothing, sponsoring orphans, and giving financial support to students."
"Last year we were able to collect Dh120 million. Our goal is to spread social awareness as well as turn people in need to people that produce, which is also how we aim to support the government," he said.
The Red Crescent aims to extend its efforts to 65 other countries, and support Arabs and Muslims across the region, particularly in Palestine.
In collaboration with the Ebrahim Al Khalid charitable organisation, the Red Crescent said it would be providing iftar meals at Al Aqsa Mosque, West Bank and Gaza as well as in Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.
According to Al Qumzi, the preliminary budget for the campaign abroad was Dh28 million, with Dh6 million for "Iftar Sa'em", Dh3 million for Eid Zakat, and Dh1 million for Eid clothes for more than 50,000 orphans worldwide.
"Within the UAE, Dh18 million is set as a preliminary budget, Dh8 million will be for coupons and distribution of food, Dh4 million for Eid Zakat and Dh6 million for ‘Iftar Sa'em', where iftar meals will be available in 92 Ramadan tents across the Emirates. Eid clothes will also be given to 3,280 orphans in the UAE," he said.
Other projects will be accelerated during the fasting month. One makes use of excess food from large social events such as company dinners or weddings, by asking them to donate leftover food which is then packed and distributed to needy families.
Another project allocates small packets of light snacks to people driving on highways between Emirates during iftar time, in an effort to reduce road crashes.
The Red Crescent said it would redouble its efforts to receive donations from the public, and called for the more fortunate among us to make a contribution by calling the free hotline 800-733.
— With inputs from Mayar Raouf, Staff Reporter
Donors: Authority to collect Dh72m zakat
More than Dh72 million is expected to be paid as zakat this year through the federal authority that specialises in channelling funds to the needy all over the world, said an official in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
This would represent a seven per cent increase in the amount of zakat the organisation collected in 2009.
Jamal Al Mazroui, director of zakat resources and media department at the Zakat Fund, told Gulf News: "Currently 11,387 people are registered as using the authority's services. We hope this number will rise this year".
Al Mazroui also said people often wanted to choose the zakat recipients.
"We let them specify recipients if they want, or we give the zakat to the needy on our database" Al Mazroui said.
He added that although most funds poured in during the month of Ramadan, many people donated during major worldwide crises.
"In addition, people sometimes want their donations to go to a different country, and we allow for this. Previously we have sent funds to Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, etc," he said.
In response to how the organisation determined neediness, Al Mazroui said it used social workers who followed Quranic directives to verify which people in the UAE were most in need of the zakat support.
— Samihah Zaman, Staff Reporter
