UAE Red Crescent offers relief to Iraq

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Society (RCS), yesterday ordered delivery of humanitarian relief aid to the needy in Iraq.

The move is in line with the RCS policy of extending help to those in distress around the world. It is also in response to a plea by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society to provide urgent assistance to the needy in that country.

In accordance with Sheikh Hamdan's instructions, a RCS delegation led by Dr. Saleh Moussa arrived in Baghdad yesterday to procure relief items from the local market and also oversee their distribution in various Iraqi cities. The distribution process will be conducted in coordination with the Iraqi RCS. The delegation toured a number of areas to asses the needs of the people there. Earlier, the RCS conducted an assessment mission through field visits to hospitals and also held consultative meetings with non-governmental organisations working in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, the UAE RCS distributed in Abu Dhabi meat from 76 slaughtered livestock to 160 needy families among those under the organisation's sponsorship. The new move is part of the RCS' efforts to improve the living conditions of poor and needy families in the emirate.