UAE shows compassion, raises Dh228 million

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE on Tuesday concluded its week-long humanitarian campaign 'Show Compassion' (Tarahamu), which raised a whopping Dh208 million in cash and in-kind assistance worth Dh20 million.

The campaign was launched last week on the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the follow-up of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to raise funds for refugees and others in the Levant to help them survive the deadly snowstorm Huda.

Officials attributed the campaign's phenomenal success to the enthusiastic response of government and non-government organisations and individuals to the President's humanitarian appeal.

Shaikh Mohammed has instructed humanitarian and relief agencies in the UAE to continue the delivery of humanitarian assistance to refugees and other people in the region throughout the winter season. The UAE aid agencies will distribute winter relief materials and food assistance to help them endure freezing temperatures.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the UAE Compassion National Committee, said the early directives from the President had contributed significantly to rescuing thousands of people from the Middle East's most severe snowstorm. He said the drive has drawn the attention of the international community to the suffering of millions of refugees and other people in Iraq and the Levant.

International appreciation, he noted, continued to pour in for the country, with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlying Shaikh Khalifa's role in international humanitarian work.

Gergawi noted that Shaikh Mohammed's close follow up of relief operations was instrumental in the swift delivery of assistance to those in need before the snowstorm reached its peak. "Our humanitarian organisations have achieved an international precedence by delivering relief assistance to the Levant in less than 12 hours."

The campaign aimed at helping one million people and refugees in camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and other Palestinian regions, to survive a harsh winter as the Levant countries continue to suffer from the devastating snowstorm.

Relief agencies working on the ground estimate that the number of beneficiaries would rise to over two million.