Donations for U.A.E. Suqia water aid campaign reach Dh 80.4 million on its fifth day

Dubai (WAM): The humanitarian contributions to U.A.E. Water Aid campaign have reached Dh 80,450,000 on its fifth day. The raised amount is enough to provide fresh drinking water for 3,218,000 people in developing countries or 64% of the five million people targeted by the campaign. The U.A.E. Water Aid campaign has received generous response from the public and private sectors, businessmen and civil society organisations. The Water Aid Campaign was launched by Vice President and Prime Minister of U.A.E, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan, to provide access to fresh drinking water for 5 million persons around the world who suffer from shortage of potable water. World Health Organisation (W.H.O) figures show that a child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related illness and that each day 9,863 people die from water-related diseases. This means more than 3.4 million people, mostly children, die annually from water-related diseases, according to W.H.O. The donations on the fifth day of the U.A.E. Water Aid campaign include Dh 2.5 million from Dubai Police, Dh 1 million from Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons, Dh500,000 from Gulf Craft. Dubai-based retailer Aswaaq will donate all its proceeds of drinking water sales until 18th Ramadan for the U.A.E. Suqia campaign. U.A.E. Water Aid campaign, warmly welcomed locally, regionally and internationally, has proved that the U.A.E. is a country of giving and that its prudent leadership is an example of generosity and bounteousness. The U.A.E. people's immediate response to the campaign also underlines the noble values of the people of country. The media have valued U.A.E.'s role as a real capital of humanitarian activities, highly commending the valuable role of Vice President and Prime Minister of U.A.E, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in the various areas of charitable and humanitarian work. The U.A.E. Suqia Water Aid campaign was launched amid the growing issue of water scarcity which has become worse over the past few decades in many parts of the world. The issue is threatening the lives of millions of people and denoting a serious deterioration in the situation if countries and involved international organisations do not take action and draw up emergency plans and strategies for radical solutions in afflicted areas. – Emirates News Agency, WAM