Sharjah Charity House donates $1m to refugees

SHARJAH: The NGO, Sharjah Charity House, has donated $1 million to support The Big Heart Foundation’s (TBHF) humanitarian projects in the Kakuma refugee camp and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement in the Republic of Kenya to provide basic services and develop their infrastructure. The donation follows a recent visit organised by TBHF to the refugee settlements in Kenya’s north western region. Top Emirati officials, CEOs and business leaders were a part of the team that assessed the daily challenges of the camps’ 191,500 inhabitants. The visit was undertaken in line with the directives of Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of TBHF and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, which calls for further engagement from the public and private sectors, as well as individuals, to provide support towards implementing sustainable projects to help refugees, displaced persons and those affected by crisis, lead peaceful and stable lives. The refugees in Kakuma camp comprise 22 nationalities who have fled war and instability in search of food, security and livelihood. Most of the refugees are from South Sudan and Somalia, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Ethiopia. The camps lack even basic necessities like drinking water and electricity. The residents live in a harsh environment due to the drought that is affecting Kenya, which has led to a constant outbreak of diseases.