UAE for Haiti, a campaign aimed at supporting the UAE Red Crescent’s efforts to support the disaster in Haiti, was launched at a press conference held at Okku in Dubai on Tuesday. The campaign aims at rallying support from individuals and organizations within the UAE to help raise as much financial aid as possible and is supported by the In Dubai We Trust initiative.
Ayman AlSaleh, the co-founder of the UAE for Haiti campaign, explained the background to the campaign; “With hundreds of thousands dead and injured, millions displaced, and tens of thousands orphaned, many of us were affected by the scenes we saw on the ground in Haiti. The scale of this disaster is unimaginable and there never has been a time where the UAE community of all its different nationalities and organizations should come together to support a global cause. What the Haitians are facing is simply horrific and through this campaign we are hoping to mobilize the entire community in support of the UAE Red Crescent's efforts in its mission within Haiti.”
The UAE Red Crescent was the first to arrive at the scene in Haiti from the Middle East, with two flights of medical supplies and cargo totaling 145 tons already delivered, as well as sending a delegation to take part in rescue operations, which also assessed the situation and needs within Haiti. The delegation visited one of the orphanages and provided the necessary materials to support its children, further to providing support to five hospitals in the Dominican Republic that are currently treating 12,000 of those injured in the disaster. Meanwhile, work by the Red Crescent is underway to establish a field hospital near the capital of Haiti that will provide first aid and medical treatment to the injured.
AlSaleh then went on to say: “We will soon launch an awareness campaign in the media, as BPG Group is working hard on creating ads that help push this initiative and they have kindly donated their time in support of the campaign.”
Khaled Ghandour, representing In Dubai We Trust, spoke about the group’s role within the campaign by saying: “We are a local initiative that aims to bring the community together to be a part of the efforts being made to support charities and other initiatives such as UAE for Haiti and the UAE Red Crescent. We want to create an all-inclusive platform from which we can stand united to promote local and global issues ranging from necessary charity work to cultural programs.”
Financial Donations More Effective
Organizers explained that financial assistance is proving more effective than the donation of supplies, as the infrastructure in Haiti is posing severe challenges for distribution efforts, with money arriving faster to its different towns.
Individuals can contribute to the campaign in various ways. An account has been set up by the UAE Red Crescent with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank under account number 20000323, where donations can be deposited. In addition, all branches of the UAE Red Crescent across all the Emirates are accepting financial donations, as well as donation boxes that have been placed throughout the UAE within Union-Coop’s, various malls, and community centers.
In terms of donation of supplies, the focus is on rice, sugar, cooking oil, baby milk, baby food, powdered milk, plain flour, new clothing, new blankets, and tents. For any such items, they need to be valid for a minimum of one year.
Call to Business Community
AlSaleh called out on the UAE’s businesses to support the campaign: “I would also like to encourage the UAE’s business community to join this campaign. This is a call out to them from UAE for Haiti. There are many ways in which they can be part of it. Okku, for example, donated all dinner proceeds made yesterday, a total of DHS51,300, to the campaign. I invite all food and beverage outlets to contact us and do the same. Meanwhile, some organizations have decided to allocate a percentage of all sales the cause. For other organizations, please create fundraising opportunities be it for your staff or customers. It is simple, yet it can make a significant difference. We will do our best to get the approval of the authorities for any such initiatives, as it is important to point out that any fundraising events need to receive the approval of the UAE Red Crescent before being held.”
AlSaleh concluded by thanking a number of individuals and organizations for their help in the campaign: “I would like to thank a few individuals and organizations for helping make this a reality. First and foremost, Sheikha Maisa Al Qassimi, who was the first person to show a strong interest in discussing the campaign. With very little planned, she instantly jumped on board with a concrete ‘let’s do it!’ The UAE Red Crescent’s approval of the campaign was pivotal in making it happen, so on behalf of everyone involved in the initiative I would like to thank them. I also want to thank Dr. Shetty from nmc Group and Neopharma who will be donating first aid medical supplies and more, Rania El Sadek from SEPT PR, Avi Bhojani from BPG Group, and the owners of Okku Restaurant & Lounge for their support to the campaign.”
