This is why the UAE Red Crescent has its work well cut out. Standing out to ease lives of victims and reduce the pain of friends, brothers and affected people, the altruistic vision of the late President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan created the appropriate platform capable of quickly responding to humanitarian causes. Over the years, through selfless giving, the UAE has a prominent place thanks to its humanitarian organisations and entities that reflect the basic generosity intrinsic of this culture.
Founded in 1983, and spending over AED 2 billion in humanitarian assistance over this time, the UAE Red Crescent underlines the UAE's humanitarian role in regional and international arenas through humanitarian programmes, as well as charity and development projects worldwide. Considered a pioneer humanitarian organisation by industry specialists, the Red Crescent's role has greatly evolved as a result of the increase in disasters in the world.
A milestone in the Red Crescent's progress occurred in 1983 when H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan gave directives to execute development projects to help local inhabitants in disaster-hit areas to help cope and access the long term tools to rebuild their lives. Facing economic and social challenges lying ahead, the organisation realised that efficient humanitarian aid should be based upon those foundations - giving families the ability to earn for themselves and not merely scraping by on donations. Consequently, people's lives in these areas developed; they were able to live in dignity.
Local interest
The Social Care Division in the Red Crescent caters for low-income and needy people inside the UAE. Programmes include humanitarian and medical aid and social sponsorships (sponsoring students, prisoners, and people with special needs). They also deal with supporting institutions, local projects and charity campaigns to help low income families. There are also seasonal action drives like providing breakfast for fasting people, Iftar Zakat (alms to be paid for poor people during Ramadan), Eid dress, oblation and pilgrimage to Mecca.
Expanding abroad
The Projects and Relief sector in the Red Crescent handles urgent aid abroad for communities hit by disasters and calamities. It also coordinates with the Federation of Red Cross and Crescent societies and other humanitarian organisations. Executing charitable constructioand development projects through rebuilding and rehabilitation of destroyed infrastructure in areas of conflict, these cover 95 countries especially Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Sudan and other African countries.
Construction and Development
Since reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure is vital to welfare in areas hit by disasters in order alleviate the impact of the lack of basic services on the life of people in those areas, the Red Crescent Authority starts executing its development programmes immediately after the relief operation in order to bring people's lives into normal. The best example of that are the construction projects in Palestine in terms of number of projects and their cost. They include rebuilding destroyed houses, building and rehabilitating educational, health and service institutions as well as worship places.
Orphans programs
Sponsoring orphans is another critical aspect of the organisation's remit. Thanks to enormous donor support, the Authority succeeded in underlining orphan's humanitarian causes around the world. Sponsoring over 38,000 orphans in the UAE and abroad, the value of amount paid to orphans annually is around AED 65 million in 24 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Promoting Voluntary Work Values
By depending on volunteers to execute its programmes, a culture of service is fostered. Accordingly, the Volunteers Division has strategies to attract volunteers and train them. The Authority has been able to polish their skills through different practical and theoretical training skills. The foundation programme includes intensive courses in confronting disasters, first aid, international and humanitarian law and methods of voluntary work. The Volunteers Division is keen to carry out the strategy of the Red Crescent to promote voluntary values among people and activate the role of volunteers towards humanitarian cases by utilizing their unique abilities.