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.

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SOMALIA
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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.

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NIGER
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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.

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SUDAN
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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.

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OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES
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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