UAE RED CRESCENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000731 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/RA; AF/E; AF/RSA E.O. 12958: DECL N/A TAGS: EAID PHUM MOPS PREL XF SO IZ AF AE SUBJECT: UAE RED CRESCENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA ¶1. SUMMARY: During January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007, the UAE Red Crescent Society (RCS),the main quasi-government charity, provided USD 13.36 million in humanitarian assistance to Africa, according to official figures received from the RCS. This assistance included: miscellaneous relief USD 3.55 million (food, medicines, etc.), support utilities and services (digging wells, construction/maintenance of houses, etc.) USD 4.94 million, orphan sponsorship and seasonal assistance (Ramadan Iftars, Eid assistance, etc.) USD 3.71 million and lump sum assistance (one time, mainly cash payments) USD 1.15 million. Somalia, Niger and Sudan were the principal recipients of UAE aid. END SUMMARY. -------------- SOMALIA -------------- ¶2. The UAE Red Crescent donated USD 3.80 million to Somalia between January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007, which constitutes 28.4 percent of total RCS' assistance to Africa during the period. The breakdown of the assistance is: relief USD 1.04 million, support utilities and services USD 1.42 million, orphan sponsorship and seasonal assistance USD 1.21 million and lump sum assistance USD 116,331. According to media reports, in March 2007, the UAE Red Crescent sent a team and two planes loaded with 80 tons of medical supplies to help victims of cholera in Somalia. -------------- NIGER -------------- ¶3. The RCS donated USD 1.52 million to Niger during the period, which constitutes 11.4 percent of the total. Most of the RCS' assistance to Niger, USD 1.27 million, was mainly to support utilities and services. -------------- SUDAN -------------- ¶4. The RCS provided USD 1.22 million USD to Sudan. The breakdown was: utilities and services USD 476,477, orphan sponsorship and seasonal assistance USD 396,787, relief USD 242,731 and lump sum assistance USD 110,628. -------------- OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES -------------- ¶5. UAE assistance to other African countries was as follows: Ghana USD 988,780, Chad USD 909,763, Togo USD 816,245, Kenya USD 717,745, Central Africa USD 579,325, Ethiopia USD 547,805, Burkina Faso USD 506,114, Mauritania USD 460,989, Senegal USD 273,464, Malawi USD 272,203, Comoros USD 234,998, Tanzania USD 230,754, Djibouti USD 186,054, Liberia USD 42,204. Assistance to some African countries like Guinea, South Africa, Seychelles, Gambia, Nigeria, Burundi, Benin, Uganda, and Angola was negligible, altogether USD 46,795 only. ¶6. COMMENT: The UAE Red Crescent has been active in sending humanitarian assistance to Africa, particularly relief to victims of floods, droughts and civil war, although overall Red Crescent assistance to Africa is significantly less than amounts that the UAE sends to Arab countries like Lebanon and the Palestinian areas of West Bank and Gaza. END COMMENT. SISON