ERC spends AED7.5 million to fund health and food programmes in Mali

MALI, 22nd August, 2016 (WAM) – The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) is spending AED7.5 million to provide health and food assistance to affected people in the Republic of Mali as part of the UAE's efforts to improve the quality of life in Africa. An ERC statement said the UAE relief agency was working with a number of United Nations’ organisations to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the west African country by making affected people more resilient to overcome these challenges as a result of drought, desertification, hunger and poverty. The ERC indicated that the UAE assistance provided a significant support for international humanitarian efforts to improve living conditions and alleviate suffering of the effected people. A high-level delegation from the ERC led by Saeed Al Mazrouie, Head of International Aid, inspected the progress in these projects which are being undertaken by the ERC in partnership with the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). In north Mali, the delegation inspected the humanitarian situation in Timbuktu, and met with tribal leaders there to discuss the ERC's efforts to help displaced persons and meet their urgent needs. The delegation also had meetings with the ERC’s humanitarian partners and actors in Mali to co-ordinate relief operations and reviewed progress in implementation of a joint ERC-UNICEF campaign for primary healthcare for mothers and children, which is part of an agreement the two organisations signed recently. The 345,600 children, aged under five, who suffered from acute malnutrition and 80,000 pregnant women have benefited from the campaign. Nearly 95 percent of children were immunised against a group of diseases that included diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles. In partnership with the WFP, the ERC provided food assistance to 27,800 children and pregnant women in Timbuktu. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates-international-aid/1395298995014.html