Latakia: The United Arab Emirates has launched a new phase of its humanitarian and development initiatives for the benefit of those affected by the earthquake that struck Syria in February of last year. This includes the opening of hundreds of housing units and the maintenance of a number of educational, health and infrastructure facilities.
The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has opened 300 housing units in three different locations as part of Operation "Gallant Knight 2". The units, which are a part of the project to build 1,000 housing units to rebuild areas affected by the earthquake in Latakia Governorate, will benefit 1,500 people.
An ERC delegation headed by Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, Acting Secretary-General of ERC, attended the opening of the housing units. Al Mansouri was received by Hassan Ahmad Al Shihi, UAE Ambassador to Syria; Dr. Hassan Muhammad Al Ghabash, Minister of Health of Syria; and Amer Hilal, Governor of Latakia. A number of officials and residents of the governorate were also present.
The ERC delegation laid the foundation stone for another housing project that will include 500 prefabricated housing units, as well as a school complex, a commercial centre, a mosque and a medical centre, in addition to infrastructure services.
Enhancing humanitarian programmes
The ERC delegation also received a relief ship during its visit to Syria carrying 196 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies, as well as a number of buses and an aircraft carrying medical aid and medicines to support the government and medical sectors.
The ERC has enhanced its humanitarian programmes and development projects in the health, education, housing and service sectors to improve living conditions and restore normalcy in the governorates most affected by the earthquake.
In the health sector, the ERC has been keen to improve the efficiency of the health sector in Latakia Governorate by providing it with high-quality medical equipment and supplies, 10 buses, medical furniture, consumables and medicines worth AED 40 million. This has benefited 7 hospitals serving more than 9 million people.
In the education sector, 40 schools in Latakia have been repaired and renovated, benefiting 20,000 students at all levels. The "Education Knights" initiative also encompassed the maintenance of Tishreen University in Latakia, providing it with 277 computers, 204 desks, 60 chairs for dentistry, and six mobile X-ray devices, benefiting 30,000 students.
In the relief sector, the ERC continues to provide food aid, medical supplies and medicines. In this regard, thousands of tons of these materials have been delivered by air and sea to those affected.
Rashid Al Mansouri stressed that these vital projects and initiatives come within the framework of the ERC's commitment to its humanitarian responsibility towards the Syrian people and to achieve its aspirations to improve their living conditions and enable them to overcome the challenges imposed on them by the earthquake. He pointed out that the coming period will witness the opening of subsequent phases of these projects, which are currently being worked on in a number of locations.
