With inhabitants of the remote Yemeni island of Socotra continuing to face difficulties because of a lack of infrastructure, humanitarian aid from the UAE is continuing to flow to the island, officials at the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation told WAM
HADIBU, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Jun, 2019) With inhabitants of the remote Yemeni island of Socotra continuing to face difficulties because of a lack of infrastructure, humanitarian aid from the UAE is continuing to flow to the island, officials at the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation told WAM.
The Foundation and the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, have been providing humanitarian aid and assistance for development of the island’s infrastructure since the outbreak of conflict in mainland Yemen in 2011.
Before Ramadan began, at the beginning of May, teams from the Foundation and the ERC distributed food supplies in main population centres, like the capital, Hadibu, and the western township of Qalansiya, as well as to villages and remote settlements throughout the island.
During Ramadan itself, which ended in early June, a total of 37,500 Iftar meals were distributed to recipients, data provided to WAM by the Foundation showed.
The Foundation also donated around 750,000 Dirhams to a number of mosques along Socotra’s main road network to allow them to purchase food. A number of women were also employed to cook the food, to provide them with indirect financial support.
Meals were also distributed to travellers and expatriate workers and others in need, while Foundation staff worked with local security forces and police to encourage drivers to drive more slowly and safely in the period running up to the breaking of the fast.
During the month, the island was hit by major disruptions to the government’s electricity power network. To reduce the impact of the cuts, the Emirati aid teams provided mobile generators to a number of areas. A mobile generator was also flown to the island to ensure that Hadibu’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital, financed by the UAE, had uninterrupted electricity supplies.
Solar panels were provided to 22 mosques, to provide electricity for loudspeakers, while work was completed on the refurbishment of a total of 38 mosques.
Other activities by the Foundation during Ramadan included the organisation of a sports tournament, in which eighteen clubs from all over the island participated. The most popular sports were football and volleyball, with the seventh championship competition for both being held during the tournament.
