Dubai: Having opened two more branches in Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman on Tuesday, the UAE Food Bank now has five, including three in Dubai.
Food Bank fridges will be available in 10 mosques each in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah apart from 80 fridges in Dubai where the initiative was launched in 2017. Three branches in Dubai have channelised the donation of 7,943 tonnes of food from the schemes inception last year up until last month.
Agreements have also been signed with 50 food establishments, and 13 charities, apart from three partnerships with other food banks in the Arab world.
“Since the beginning of 2019 until the end of April, the food bank has distributed 554 tonnes of food,” said Dawoud Al Hajiri, director-general of Dubai Municipality and deputy chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank.
“A total of 2,645 tonnes of food was distributed in 2018, while in 2017 it was 2,142 tonnes,” he added.
A special programme has also been formulated for the holy month of Ramadan, through which nearly 3,500 iftar and suhour kits will be prepared daily and distributed to the bank’s fridges in cooperation with Careem. Last Ramadan, 49,700 iftar kits and 23,500 suhour kits were distributed via the service.
“We are striving to achieve the vison of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” said Hajiri. “To make the bank an integrated humanitarian system that enhances the spirit of mutual support and cooperation in the community by taking advantage of the surplus food within a sustainable organisational framework so that all Emirati citizens and residents are an active part of this charitable and humanitarian approach, as well as contributing to food security by reducing wastage of food.”
