Hamdan bin Zayed: UAE led by Khalifa reinforces international efforts to eradicate polio among Syrian children

Abu Dhabi: H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, Chairman of the Red Crescent Authority (RCA), has stressed that the UAE led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is exerting utmost efforts to strengthen international resolve to eradicate polio among the Syrian children. Sheikh Hamdan was speaking after sponsoring the immunisation of 1.6 million Syrian children from polio in cooperation with UNICEF, which has announced that the vaccination campaign is underway in Syria and other Middle East countries to protect over 20 million children from polio. The RCA chairman ordered the RCA to speed up the implementation of comprehensive campaign in coordination with UNICEF in Syria and neighbouring countries amid reports of some polio cases in Syria. He reiterated that the UAE mobilises the support to address humanitarian issues, referring to the recent initiative of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces of donating Dh440 million in support of the international efforts to eradicate polio by 2018. In implementation of Sheikh Hamdan's instructions to immunise the Syrian children, the RCA held a meeting with UNICEF in which mechanisms were discussed to serve the Syrian children and attain UAE's endeavour to eradicate polio. The two sides agreed to strengthen the cooperation. – Emirates News Agency, WAM