Dubai: Millions of people around the world suffer every day as they struggle through war, natural disasters and poverty.
The UAE Red Crescent reaches out by giving aid to all those who need it regardless of their nationality, religion or social background.
The humanitarian organisation was established in the UAE in 1983. It now has 11 offices throughout the emirates and works with the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the International Red Crescent in Geneva, Switzerland.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, is the President of the UAE Red Crescent.
Mohammad Al Zarouni, General Manager of the Dubai Red Crescent branch, said: "We are here for everybody ... We deal with people and their nationality or religion does not matter. If anyone knocks on our door, we are there to help."
Al Zarouni continues that the UAE Red Crescent has around 420 employees working inside and outside the emirates, with more than 10,000 volunteers.
The logistics office based in Jebel Ali stores 10,000 tents and other supplies, that can be shipped out in times of crisis or disaster at any point.
Around the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement has around 96 million volunteers, with approximately 20 million working in offices and three million doing field work.
It is situated in 25 countries around the world, with offices in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghan-istan, Iraq, Egypt, Tanzania, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, South America and around Europe. In 2007, Dh223 million was spent by the organisation, with most of the funds being directed to Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The organisation is funded in three ways. The main source stems from Shaikh Hamdan. Money is also raised from commercial ventures [through rent from buildings owned by the organisation] and through donations from the public. Residents in the UAE can donate money at the many collection boxes placed at most major supermarkets.
Dubai residents can also donate clothes and non-perishable food to the Deira-based branch.
Orphans
The Red Crescent supports approximately 48,000 orphans around the world. Ten thousand of which are in Palestine, 8,000 in Iraq, 7,000 in Afghanistan and about 6,000 in Bosnia. Aid includes education funding, health, food and clothing. Some Dh400 million has been spent by the organisation in Palestine in cooperation with the UN and Unicef: this has included funding of $10 million (Dh36.7 million) for polio vaccinations given to 100,000 children.
Many houses and 16 hospitals have also been constructed by the Red Crescent in Palestine.
In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the organisation sent Dh5 million in aid to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To date, 400 houses have been reconstructed in Sri Lanka and 1,000 fishing boats have been provided.
Aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was sent immediately and amounted to $100million (Dh367million). Al Zarouni said: "We always start the aid with women and children. Because when something happens in the world, they are the weakest people."
Humanitarian cases
Dubai's Red Crescent currently has 2,800 files or humanitarian cases, of which 900 are females and the remaining 1,900 are males and families. Around 1,800 of the cases are Emirati and the remaining are expatriate situations.Recent projects include $1 million (Dh3.67 million) that was raised for the Red Crescent by Sorouh Real Estate, to conduct maintenance on 30 houses throughout the emirates.
Monetary donations were also gifted from Shaikh Hamdan via the Red Crescent to labourers after the Naif Souq fire in April, which gutted 183 shops in Deira.
A total of 82 children were brought to the UAE recently from Iraq, to undergo heart surgery at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi. Many others have received complementary treatment in the UAE, including kidney and liver transplants.
Aside from emergency treatment, the Red Crescent also supports community members with ongoing needs. Braille books and special computers with voice recognition software have been provided for blind community members, and the organisation runs a scheme to give prosthetic limbs to anybody that needs them.
Movement: Celebrating history
May 8 is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. It was officially declared a commemoration and celebration day in 1938 and marks the birthday of Henry Dunant.
Dunant was pivotal in movements leading to the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies form the other parts of the movement.
It was after Dunant's work that the Swiss government invited European, US, Brazilian and Mexican governments to attend an official diplomatic conference.
On August 22nd, 1864, the conference adopted the first Geneva Convention, which was first intended for the 'Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field'.
