Dubai: More than Dh60 million has been donated by organisations and individuals on the second day of the UAE Water Aid Project (UAE Suqia). This donation will help provide clean drinking water to 2.4 million people living in areas with scarce sources of clean water.
The project, which aims to provide clean drinking water to five million people in 60 countries, was launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday.
A total of Dh26.75 million was raised on the second day of the initiative. This will help provide clean drinking water to 1.07 million people who live in areas with limited sources of clean water.
Shaikh Mohammad launched the project to help prevent deaths caused by diseases related to water as more than 3.4 million people die annually as a result of such diseases.
The first phase of the project is being implemented by the Emirates Red Crescent and will comprise digging wells in 10 countries in a period of 15 days. The countries included in the first phase are Pakistan, India, Niger, Somalia, Ghana, Sudan, Indonesia, Togo, and Iraq. Work has already started on 73 wells in Afghanistan and four big wells in Kurdistan, Iraq.
In addition to preventing deaths caused by unsafe water, the project aims to involve Emiratis, expats, public and private organisations in humanitarian service during the month of Ramadan.
“The UAE’s approach is based on providing aid for all. The pivotal played by the UAE in the humanitarian field only reflects the key noble values of the UAE people,” said Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Shaikh Hamdan pointed out that Emiratis are the sons of the charitable Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, that the UAE is the capital of giving, and that the people of the UAE are always keen on extending a helping hand to the needy.
UAE Suqia has received a whopping Dh60.3 million in donations from different UAE organisations and individuals so far.
The donors on Sunday included Nakheel, Emirates airline and Wasl Properties, who contributed Dh5 million each to help provide clean drinking water to a total of 600,000 people.
Jebel Ali Free Zone donated Dh2 million to help provide drinking water to 80,000 people.
Shaikha Alyia Bint Khalifa Al Maktoum and Lulu Hypermarket donated Dh1 million each to help provide clean drinking water to a total of 80,000 people.
Investment Corporation of Dubai donated Dh6 million to help provide clean drinking water to a total of 240,000 people.
The Land Department donated Dh500,000 to help provide clean drinking water to 20,000 people and Union Coop donated Dh250,000 to help drill 50 water wells in developing countries.
Dr Mohammad Atiq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of Emirates Red Crescent, said the Red Crescent has already started digging four big wells in Arbil in Kurdistan, in northern Iraq, that will provide water to 100,000 people. He also said work on 73 wells in Afghanistan has already started.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni, head of Emirates Red Crescent’s Dubai branch, estimated that an average well that could help 4,000 people would cost Dh25,000.
In addition to digging wells in villages that suffer from shortage of water, tanks will also be installed to collect water in places where water is readily available but is not collected properly. The campaign will also install pipelines in villages to distribute water efficiently and water treatment plants will be built during the last phase of the campaign.
Al Zarouni said Masdar will also help install solar panels to harness energy in areas where there is no electricity in order to operate the water pumps and treatment plants.
