Abu Dhabi: The ‘Yemen We Care’ drive to rebuild lives of 10 million Yemenis said it raised nearly Dh13.7 million on its first day yesterday (Sunday).

Fahd Abdul Rahman Bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary-General of Emirates Red Crescent for Marketing and Donation Affairs, said the month-long campaign received a donation of Dh1 million from the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Dh1 million from Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, Dh1 million from Al Ansari Exchange, the UAE-based foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer company, and Dh1 million from Abdul Rahim Bal Gazouz Al Zarouni, who called from the United States to offer his donation.

Another philanthropist, who did not want to be named, donated Dh750,000.

The UAE leads reconstruction and relief efforts in Yemen with major educational, health and relief projects targeting 10 million Yemenis affected by the unfolding crisis there.

Dr Mohammad Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of ERC, told Gulf News on Saturday the UAE aims to reconstruct and refurbish more than 150 schools, scores of hospitals and clinics in Aden, which have been either destroyed or damaged by the fighting.

The campaign will also recommission all power stations and drinking water plants to relieve more than 10 million people stricken by the crisis.

Al Falahi said donors and philanthropists from the UAE and overseas are welcome to contribute to the month-long campaign.

The campaign promotes the humanitarian role being played by the UAE to ease the suffering of people in Yemen through provision of needs and basic requirements. The gesture also shows greater solidarity with victims of the conflict, and draws attention to the difficulties they face so as to accelerate the restoration of normalcy to Yemen.

The UAE has become the world’s largest aid donor to Yemen in 2015, providing humanitarian aid worth Dh744 million ($202 million) in the past four months — almost half of the aid pledged by other countries.

“Our reconstruction and relief efforts will not be limited to Aden, as we will move on to all other Yemeni provinces as security situation improves,” Al Falahi said.

Al Falahi added the multi-pronged humanitarian and reconstruction campaign, ordered by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, includes a telethon to raise funds to help Yemen in a time of national crisis. The telethon will run on Friday on all satellite televisions in the UAE.