Hamdan bin Zayed orders Dh10m donation for Syrian, Iraqi refugees in Lebanon

ABU DHABI, 4th March, 2015 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and President of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has given instructions to the agency to allocate Dh10 million for helping Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Lebanon who were affected by the bitterly cold winter weather. Sixteen thousand refugee families, including 1,000 from Iraq, will receive the winter aid which will include food supplies, healthcare supplies, blankets, warm clothes and medicines in the next three weeks, said Secretary-General of the ERC, Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi. Al Falahi noted that the agency is intensifying its efforts to continue to carry out the Tarahamu ('Show Compassion') humanitarian campaign which was launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and was supported by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The targeted Iraqi refugees were forced out of camps in Iraq's Kurdistan by heavy snow and rain. In early January, and as part of the UAE’s response to the plight of the refugees in the Levant, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed launched the Show Compassion campaign with the aim of providing warmth to one million people to help them survive the harsh winter as the Levant countries were hit by snowstorms which caused temperatures to drop to below zero. He also ordered an airlift to transport winter clothing, blankets, food and other essential items to the refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, in addition to the affected people in Gaza and other parts of Palestine. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395277470503.html