Palestinian orphans under UAE sponsorship to increase to 20,000
Jerusalem – The UAE has pledged to raise the number of Palestinian orphans under its sponsorship to 20,000 in the next few months, it was announced by Palestinian Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Al Habbash.
The minister said the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) currently sponsors about nine thousand Palestinian orphans, thanks to President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has given the directives for that gesture, adding that the RCA also supports many other humanitarian and charity programmes in Palestine, including "Iftar" meal which is being provided to Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. So far the RCA had distributed about 11,000 "Iftar" parcels at a total cost of US$250,000, he said.
The Minister pointed out that Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and RCA Chairman, had also given the directives for the RCA to donate one million dirhams to the Ibrahim Al Khalil Hospice to help alleviate the sufferings of the poor. He said he and the UAE deputy premier agreed, during his recent visit to the UAE, that the UAE would continue to provide assistance to the Palestinian people and the need for the Ibrahim Al Khalil Hospice to continue vigorously with its humanitarian works during the holy month of Ramadan and cited the great support in various forms the Palestinians enjoyed from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. (Emirates News Agency, WAM)
Country: United Arab Emirates
Subject: Assistance, Children
Publication Date: 09/10/2007