UAE Launches Campaign To Support Rohingya Refugees With 20 Humanitarian Organisations

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd May, 2019) The United Arab Emirates has launched the "UAE for Rohingya Women and Children" campaign to support their humanitarian situation, alleviate their sufferings, and improve their living conditions.

An Emirati humanitarian alliance has been formed, in which about 20 humanitarian and development organisations and societies are working to achieve the aspirations of the country's leadership to alleviate the suffering of refugees and help them overcome the crisis.

The campaign comes in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and the follow up of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC.

The campaign will be launched on Friday across the country through a joint broadcast on tv channels. It aims to escalate the UAE's efforts from providing emergency humanitarian assistance to sustainable programmes that help meet the growing needs of education, food, health services, water, sanitation and shelter materials for more than 1.2 million refugees, including 720,000 children, 240,000 women, and 48,000 elderly people.

The announcement came during a press conference held today at the ERC's premises in the presence of representatives of a number of humanitarian organisations and charities participating in the campaign.

Speaking at the conference, Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, ERC Secretary-General, said, "The UAE has always been proactive in its solidarity with Rohingya refugees, especially children and women, and has worked from the very first moment to support them.

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A number of UAE humanitarian organisations led by the ERC provided all forms of assistance to the refugees, particularly in Bangladesh, and strongly contributed in the past years in strengthening international efforts to ease the repercussions of the crisis.

"There is no doubt that the consequences of the Rohingya crisis have caused a difficult reality for refugees. We are now in a new phase of the UAE's humanitarian response to them. This is a continuation of the previous stages and in keeping with the challenges posed by the worsening refugee situation and the escalating crisis," Dr. Al Falahi added.

The campaign also intends to draw the attention of the international community to the Rohingya crisis.

"The UAE has provided considerable assistance with the onset of the crisis, especially in Bangladesh, India and some other countries. The ERC has provided AED5 million, benefiting more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees and we will continue to provide assistance," Fahad Abdulrahman bin Sultan, ERC Deputy Secretary-General for Development and International Cooperation, told the Emirates news Agency, WAM.

He explained that the two-week long campaign will give the opportunity to the UAE people to participate and contribute to providing humanitarian aid.

"As a result of the reports we received from the UAE relief teams, the focus will be on women and children, especially educating the children who have been in the camps for several years without access to education. Women will also be assisted in education, health, shelter and food," Bin Sultan said.