Dubai: While the ‘Yemen: We Care’ campaign may be over in the UAE, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) will continue accepting all kinds of donations to support its relief efforts in the liberated Yemeni city of Aden and other neighbouring governorates.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni, Manager at the Emirates Red Crescent Dubai branch told Gulf News that 170 volunteers from the UAE are currently in Aden working diligently on all humanitarian fronts to secure the basic needs of the Yemeni people.
Amid efforts to put a smile on the faces of children and families who have suffered the traumatic effects of war, the ERC volunteers held a beach carnival last week, where they organised a variety of activities for children, orphans and people with special needs.
“The carnival aimed to provide emotional support to the children, the elderly and families who attended, and to spread happiness and restore hope in the path to draw a new future for Aden,” said Al Zarouni.
The carnival and social activities held in Aden cost a total of Dh275,000.
Al Zaroni added that over 4,000 food packages are being distributed daily given the high levels of poverty in Yemen. Parcels for over 170,000 families are yet to be distributed, he added. “The 170,000 parcels sorted in the warehouse will aid 800,000 people in Yemen.”
Maintenance work in schools and hospitals in Aden are also apart of the rebuilding projects.
Around Dh220 million has been allocated for power generation projects in Aden and 90 per cent of these projects are now operational, said Al Zarouni. He added that a total of 110 schools are now operational after being evamped, equipped and furnished, while others are currently in the rebuilding and repair phase. “It has been confirmed that 110 schools in Aden have been reopened and students are now attending classes.”
The ERC has allocated Dh81.3 million for rebuilding of schools in Yemen, and Dh9 million for medicines and medical supplies. A total cost of Dh84.5 million has been spent for restoring and re-equipping hospitals and clinics in Yemen.
While relief and reconstruction efforts are currently centred around Aden and other areas liberated from the Al Houthis, aid will expand to all other Yemeni provinces as the security situation improves.
