The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, continues to work hard to respond to the pressing humanitarian needs in Yemen, providing food and relief material to 57,000 households, or approximately 399,000 people, since Aden was liberated, a senior official was quoted as saying in the English language daily, Gulf News, on Wednesday. In an article published this morning, the Dubai-based daily quoted Dr. Mohammad Atiq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of Emirates Red Crescent, as saying, "While continuing to assist in immediate relief, we are working for long-term responses, including school rebuilding, maintenance of health facilities, livelihood rehabilitation and longer-term food assistance." Dr. Al Falahi said that food and relief parcels are being distributed to 4,330 Yemini households on a daily basis. "Food and relief materials have been distributed to as many as 399,000 Yemenis since Aden was liberated," he said. Nine ships loaded with 18,322 tonnes of aid have been sent to Aden Port, as well as 50 trucks, as part of its massive relief programme to assist Yemenis in Aden and other neighbouring governorates affected by the unfortunate events taking place there. "The assistance is part of the UAE's humanitarian efforts to help alleviate the suffering of the brotherly people of Yemen," he said. The UAE's largest aid agency has scaled up its relief operations in Yemen in implementation of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the orders of His Highness Sheikh Mohamad 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 the Western Region and chairman of the ERC, to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni people and improve their living conditions. Dr. Al Falahi said that 170 ERC officials and volunteers are working diligently on all humanitarian fronts to secure the basic needs of the Yemeni people. The UAE has become the world's largest aid donor to Yemen in 2015, providing humanitarian aid valued at AED744 million, US$202 million, between April and July, amounting to almost half of the aid pledged by other countries. Dr. Al Falahi said ERC's reconstruction and relief efforts will not be limited to Aden, "as we will move on to all other Yemeni provinces as the security situation improves." Emirates Red Crescent launched a major television fund-raising campaign early in September with the slogan, ‘#yemen_we_care' with the aim of aiding 10 million Yemenis. The ERC has also allocated AED50 million to water projects in the country, provided generators and started rebuilding and repairing 154 schools. Dr. Al Falahi said that more than 50 schools in Aden have so far been renovated, equipped and furnished, with work being carried out on more than 100 others. "Ten schools a week are being revamped and fully equipped, and Emirates Red Crescent has allocated AED81.3 million for rebuilding schools in Yemen." Maintenance of hospitals and clinics, water and electricity supplies, sanitation and parks continues to be carried out. "Hospitals and clinics in Yemen are being refurbished and fully equipped at a total cost of AED48.5 million. Some AED9 million has also been allocated for medicines and medical supplies," Dr. Al Falahi said. The ERC Secretary-General concluded by saying that AED220 million has been allocated for power generating projects in Aden and 90 percent of these projects are now operational. "Emirates Red Crescent will also rehabilitate the sanitary drainage network in Aden at a total cost of AED5.7 million and AED4.5 million was allocated for waste management," he said. In August, the United Nation's humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, praised the Emirates Red Crescent for its humanitarian efforts in Yemen, calling the organisation one of the UN's most important humanitarian partners in the region.
