Dubai: Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has intensified its Ramadan programmes for 2022, which will benefit over 2.1 million people in the UAE and the rest of the world.
It follows the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent.
The ERC programmes comprise Ramadan Iftar, Zakat al-Fitr, Eid clothes, Ramadan mir campaigns, among others, with a preliminary budget of over Dh36.8 million.
The ERC announced the launch of the campaign for this year under the theme ‘Ramadan: Continued Giving’ during a press conference on Monday at UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dr Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, ERC Secretary-General, said: “The ERC’s Ramadan campaign, which we are launching today, aims to gain from the support of philanthropists to ease the suffering of people, improve their lives, maintain human dignity and address poverty, hunger and disease.”
Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, Deputy Secretary-General for Marketing and Resources Development, said the ERC is gearing up to start Ramadan by promoting human solidarity and offering the opportunity to those interested in participating in its local and international programmes.
Hundreds of thousands of people will benefit from the ERC programmes, he added, thanking this year’s sponsors, which are the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Etisalat, Carrefour, Dolphin Energy, the Al Masaood Group, Abu Dhabi Media and the Abu Dhabi Co-Operative Society.
UAE programmes
Salem Al Rayes Al Ameri, Deputy Secretary-General of the Local Aid Sector at the ERC, said 1,450,438 people in the UAE will benefit from this year’s Ramadan programmes, valued at Dh21,303,430.
Some 1,151,600 people will benefit from the ERC’s local iftar programme worth Dh11,516,600, while 44,928 people will benefit from its Ramadan mir programme, which provides food to needy families and people in need at a cost of Dh4,241,230, in addition to 51,810 people who will receive Zakat al-Fitr worth nearly Dh4,315,000, and 2,100 orphans who will receive Eid clothing valued at Dh630,000.
Programmes abroad
Fahad Abdelrahman bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary-General for International Development and Cooperation, stated that 662,892 people in 64 countries will benefit from Ramadan programmes valued at Dh15,500,000. Some 542,645 people will benefit from the ERC’s iftar programme, 88,744 people from its Zakat al-Fitr programme, and 31,503 people from its Eid clothes programme, with a value of Dh2 million.
Ahmed Salem Al Rashedi, Regional Head of Real Estate Financing at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, spoke at the press conference, highlighting the ongoing cooperation between the bank and the ERC.
Aida Al Shamsi, Head of Human Resources at the Abu Dhabi Co-Operative Society, said the society is part of the Emirati society and, therefore, is keen to implement humanitarian initiatives that will benefit the society’s members.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Shehhi, Director of Government Relations Management at Abu Dhabi Media, said the ERC’s Ramadan campaign is a leading initiative in terms of promoting humanitarian giving, noting that the UAE and its leadership are major contributors.
Abu Dhabi Media, as the campaign’s media partner, is committed to harnessing its media platforms to support the country’s efforts to ensure the campaign’s success, he added.
Ahmed Salmeen, CEO of Government Affairs at the Al Masaood Group, affirmed his company’s keenness to support humanitarian work through the efforts of relevant humanitarian organisations and associations, led by the ERC.
The ERC has allocated some 250 locations to collect donations nationwide, mostly in shopping centres, markets and other gathering points, in addition to the possibility of donating via its centres, website, smart app, bank transfers and SMS.
