UAE raises over Dh500m for Yemen

The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, has announced that the total contributions received so far for the benefit of the "Yemen: We Care" donation campaign that was launched last Sunday, has reached Dh502.3 million.

On Friday, national TV networks ran a unified coverage of the campaign from 2:00 to 6:00 pm to receive donations and put the spotlight on the health, educational and public services requirements for rebuilding Yemen.

The campaign has been launched under the guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister  of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and with the instructions of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and is being followed up by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the ERC, as part of the support of the UAE for the Yemeni people, by providing help to nearly 10 million people who are suffering as a result of the crisis.

TV Donations

Meanwhile, National TV networks started today running a six-hour unified coverage of the campaign at 2:00 pm local time to receive donations and put the spotlight on the health, educational and public services requirements for rebuilding Yemen.

The campaign comes under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and with the instructions of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and is being followed up by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the ERC, as part of the stance of the United Arab Emirates with the Yemeni people, providing help to nearly 10 million people who are suffering in the crisis.

Yemeni President praises UAE humanitarian campaign

President of Yemen, Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi, has commended the "Yemen: We Care" humanitarian campaign launched by the UAE, on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"The "Yemen: We Care" campaign is one of construction, development and hope. It is a blessed campaign from a blessed land," President Hadi said during an interview aired on Friday by Abu Dhabi TV.

The Yemeni president thanked the leadership, government and people of the UAE for the unlimited support they provide to their brothers in Yemen, saying that the Emiratis have not only offered their financial support, but also their precious blood, in reference to the Emirati martyrs who died while performing their national duty as part of "Operation: Restoring Hope", in support of the legitimate government in Yemen.

President Hadi also thanked the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Arab coalition for their firm support to Yemen in its current crisis.

"We are confident that we will emerge stronger and more determined to make a better future," he added.

Earlier Story: A donation campaign launched by the UAE last week to help nearly 10 million Yemenis affected the civil war has so far raised more than Dh64 million and the sum is set to swell in the next days,  a newspaper reported on Friday.

The funds were donated through mobile phone text messages by the public and at donation centres set up by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), which is spearheading the campaign in line with instruction by the country’s leaders.

By late Thursday,  “For you Yemen”, has raised Dh64.6 million and more funds are expected to be donated  on Friday and the next days  through a telethon and other channels, according to Dubai-based Emirat Alyoum daily.

A key donor over the past days was Mohammed bin Nassir Al Shafi, who offered Dhone million for the campaign, the paper said.

“ERC will next week start distributing tickets for donations to public and private schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education,” ERC’s deputy secretary general  for support services, Mohammed Yusuf Al Fahim, said.

He told the paper that ERC has  set up 14 donation centres at key shopping places and that all charity groups in the UAE would be involved in the one-month campaign, starting on Friday. He said those groups would also help ERC in its operation to distribute aid to the people in war-battered Yemen.

The paper said ERC had already allocated Dh217million for a project to repair power facilities in Aden, adding that nearly 85 per cent of the project had been completed.

ERC is also involved in a project to repair and rehabilitate 54 schools in Aden damaged in the war and that they would be ready in the next two weeks.

“ERC is also maintaining 153 other schools housing more than 138,000 students…all of them will soon be ready to receive the students,” it added.

The campaign to aid Yemen was launched in late August in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on the orders of 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 Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the ERC.

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