Sheikha Fatima Donates US$1 Mn To ‘Fund For Refugee Women’ For Projects In Southern Sudan, Uganda

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd Sep, 2019) H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union,GWU, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation,FDF, who is also the Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, donated US$1 million to the "Fund for Refugee Women," to support projects in Southern Sudan and Uganda.

The ERC successfully implemented these projects in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, benefitting over 45,000 people, of whom 60 percent are women working in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Projects related to livestock costing US$86,000 include the purchase and breeding of animals and the prevention and treatment of diseases, benefitting 186 people.

In the agriculture sector, vegetable seeds were purchased and farmers were trained on smart agricultural production techniques for US$319,914, benefitting 24,000 farmers. Equipment for harvesting worth US$98,800 was also purchased, benefitting 980 people.

Activities that provide income were supported with US$249,286, benefitting 10,788 people while training courses on work skills costing US$246,000 benefitted more than 10,000 refugees.

Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State, stressed that the fund, which was established upon Sheikha Fatima’s initiative, aims to reinforce her efforts to empower refugee women, stressing that Sheikha Fatima initiatives that support refugees have made her well-known to humanitarian donors and supporters.

Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the ERC, praised the humanitarian efforts of Sheikha Fatima, who is a regional and international icon of giving, affirming that the ERC, under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC, has prioritised its efforts to support victims of disasters and crises.

He also noted that the ERC has drafted the necessary plans to implements projects to support refugees in Southern Sudan and Uganda, in cooperation with the UNHCR.