Dubai, 30th July 2013 (WAM) — Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler

of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has pledged to offer clothing to additional 1.5 underprivileged children, raising to 3 million the total number of beneficiaries under the humanitarian campaign he launched on 11 July to dress one million needy children across the world.

The initiative, concluded on 19th Ramadan, when the UAE marked the Zayed

Humanitarian Day and 9th death anniversary of the founding father, the late

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, raised funds for clothing 1.5 million children.

Sheikh Mohammed’s donation doubled the number of recipient children to 3 million

in more than 25 countries.

Commenting on the conclusion of the campaign, Sheikh Mohammed said:”

What make us extremely glad is the spirit of goodness which prevailed during the

Holy Month of Ramadan in our beloved State under amidst the death anniversary

of the late Sheikh Zayed. Interaction of the generous UAE people with the campaign

has resulted in bringing joy to 3 million children on the Eid in addition to slew of

of giving initiatives that will benefit other millions around the world, establishing the UAE as a capital of charity, a minaret of giving and a helping hand for relieving the destitute wherever they are.”

”The UAE will pursue its Islamic, humanitarian and civilisational role in supporting

deprived people, a drive launched by the founding fathers and we are staying that

course. We will also instill this sense in our children and our generations so as the march of giving remains the a key component of the development process in our State and

a main pillar of its future,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

The Vice President praised efforts made by the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA), which is executing the campaign, and other organisations supporting the campaign. ”I’m proud of the results the campaign has generated which comes as a fruit of giving and generosity of the UAE citizens and residents. I’m also proud of all good efforts made during the campaign which clearly demonstrated the strength of and transparency of the UAE charitable work and its influential impact on the international scene.”

　

The campaign has elicited unexpected response and success, reaching out to needy

children in Bosnia, Albania, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, Djibouti, Senegal, Zanzibar,

Tanzania, Malawi, Jordan, India, Pakistan in addition to Syrian refugee children in Jordan and Lebanon.

The RCA teams will provide clothes to children in the Philippines, Iraq, Somalia,

Ethiopia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Bangladesh.

Earlier, Shekh Mohammed has directed that the number of children beneficiaries to be increased after the campaign crossed the targeted one million mark.

　

　

 

WAM/TF

WAM 1753 2013/07/30

 

WAM ABU DHABI, 30th July, 2013 (WAM) — The UAE has provided AED 130.2 million in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, both within Syria and in other countries, since the start of the current crisis, according a recent report by the UAE Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD).

The UAE’s assistance to Syrians has been channeled via the Red Crescent Authority (RCA), Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, Dar Al Ber Society and Sharjah Charity Association.

In 2012, the UAE provided humanitarian aid to a value of AED 56,675,934 million for Syrian refugees, the report says.

The report noted that on the 9th July 2013, H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, donated AED 36.7 million to provide food, medication, shelter and education to Syrian refugees under the �Big Heart for Syrian Refugee Children’ campaign.

Also according to the report, 1.8 million Syrian refugees are displaced in five Arab countries, while a further 6.8 million inside the country have been affected by the crisis.

MICAD’s report, an update of the crisis information and indicators, shows that the crisis in Syria has been aggravated as 4.2 million people, 2.1 million of whom are children, are now homeless inside Syria.

The total number of Syrians affected by the crisis is now in excess of 8.6 million according to MICAD’s report, which describes the situation in Syria as the worst humanitarian crisis in the present time.

The report cites warnings by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) that 4 million Syrians now suffer from “food insecurity”.

MICAD’s report also highlights the World Health Organisations warnings of the heightened risks of communicable disease outbreaks at refugee camps. These include water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis and vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, which reappeared among displaced people due to a drop in national vaccination coverage.

It also noted a constant increase in the number of acute diarrhea cases, especially in rural Damascus, Idlib, Homs, Aleppo and Deir Ez-Zor.

Some medical supplies allocated to Aleppo, Idlib and rural Damascus have not been delivered yet because of a lack of security, MICAD’s report says.

WAM/MMYS/CM

WAM DUBAI, July 23rd, 2013 (WAM)–“I have dealt with a number of world leaders for decades, but did not meet one like the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He was humble and philanthropist”, the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum”, told  media gathering in Dubai.

He added that “When we talk about Sheikh Zayed, we need more evenings. The best thing could be said about Sheikh Zayed is that he was the humanitarian leader”, noting that “President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his brothers and all of us follow his footsteps to further develop our country and achieve prosperity for our people.” The Vice President referred to the importance of commemorating and celebrating what the UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed liked most- the humanitarian work, on Emirates Humanitarian Work Day.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was speaking to a number of media-persons and officials after the ceremony held to honour the distinguished federal government employees.

He tackled a number of local, regional and international issues, and answered questions on a number of important national issues as well.

Present were H. H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, a number of ministers and officials.

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WAM DUBAI, July 11th, 2013 (WAM) — Based on the directives of H. H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Dubai Municipality released 70,000 fingerlings of Sobaity and Sha’am fishes in Mamzar sea, in order to preserve the environment and biodiversity.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said that the civic body has chosen these two types considering its rapid breeding since they throw eggs in less than 6 months and proliferate in a maximum period of 6 to 9 months. One egg of these fishes contains approximately 2 to 3 million larva, which means it can quickly proliferate, feeding the marine environment with a big amounts of fish.

�The summer does not pose threat to them as it can acclimate with the water temperature and the water depth will be appropriate for them. They will be far from Mamzar Beach dedicated to marine and other games, which will allow it to reproduce without any risk,’ Lootah noted.

He added that the municipality will cooperate with the Emirates Association for Fishermen to release yearly approximately 150 to 200 thousand fingerlings of different species of local and other fishes expecting a large amount of growth in fisheries.

We cooperate with Al Mubarak Fishes Co, a national company specialized in the production of fingerlings, which donated these fishes for the emirate contributing in the preservation of marine environment as part of its social responsibility.

Lootah urged the public to contribute to the preservation of the marine environment supporting such eco-friendly projects and maintaining the living aquatic resources by not fishing in the breeding seasons and undersized fishes.

WAM/ES/TF

WAM ABU DHABI, June 30th, 2013 (WAM) –The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced that it has established the policies needed for licensing and regulation of Certification Service Providers (CSP) operating in the UAE. This is in line with the TRA�s objective to establish a secure environment for e-commerce and electronic transactions in the UAE.

The initiative is part of TRA’s overall objective to regulate CSPs who offer Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solutions that help businesses conduct e-commerce securely on the web. By developing a solid regulatory framework for CSPs, the TRA aims to create a transparent and structured process through which CSPs can offer their services by following clear guidelines.

The regulations will be applicable to all Certification Service Providers operating in the UAE, namely Etisalat, Al Hilal Bank and Global Information Technology (GIT) and to all who provide electronic attestation services directly or indirectly to the public for commercial purposes, through electronic records, documents and signatures as part of electronic transactions and e-commerce.

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, TRA Acting Director-General, said, “As the e-commerce market in the UAE continues to experience unprecedented growth due to high levels of internet and mobile device usage, the TRA is committed to enhancing the quality of services offered, raising public awareness and facilitating the growth of the e-commerce sector in the country that accounts for around 60% of total GCC e-commerce sales. With their unique capacity to verify the authenticity of users’ digital signatures, Certification Service Providers play a key role in facilitating growth in this sector. With this in mind, the TRA has established the needed regulatory framework that will help empower online trade in the UAE and bolster the nation’s confidence in e-commerce by guaranteeing a trustworthy experience for online purchasers.” The TRA will also be hosting the country’s first Electronic Transaction and Commerce Summit that will take place in September 2013 in Dubai. The event will gather stakeholders from the e-commerce industry to discuss existing regulations and guidelines, and highlight any issues concerned with the growth of the e-commerce sector while driving public trust in electronic transactions.

WAM/ES/CM

WAM ABU DHABI, June 25th, 2013: The UAE has, since its birth in 1971, drawn up an ambitious vision to build capacity of its human capital to address development challenges. As the country’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, noted :”The individual human forms the basis for any process of civilization and the pivot of real progress.” His successor President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has pursued this far-sighted vision in which the country’s real wealth is its citizens.

The President has said: “Human capital is the real wealth of this country, before and after oil. Serving the interests of citizens is the goal that we strive for every day. Building the human resources is central to comprehensive social and economic development…” Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Emirates also consider investment in human beings as the key to achieving comprehensive development. The expected gain from this investment will be visible in the future in different sectors.

It is on this premise that the leadership has focused its efforts on improving the lives of citizens in every aspect. It has successfully raised their standard of living to the highest levels and the country’s path to development has become a development model for all developing countries.

This prudent vision of the UAE’s political leadership believes that human resource is the most precious and most important asset, and that the country cannot make progress without an active and positive participation by Emiratis in the development process.

The UAE leads the Arab World and ranks thirtieth among 187 countries, according to the index of Human Development World Report 2011 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2010, the UAE was in 32nd place in the Human Development Index.

Amatul Aleem Sowsawa, UN Assistant Secretary General for UNDP in the Arab region, said at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi to launch the 2011 report that: ” It is an opportunity to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing human development in the Arab region and to highlight the UAE admirable march of human development in the recent years.” ”Although the UAE has achieved the highest per capita income in the world, it has also achieved unprecedented leaps in human development particularly healthcare and education, by virtue of its successful strategies and vision of investing its income in these two fields,” she said.

Key investments having an impact on human development, she noted, had been in sectors like healthcare and pharmaceuticals as well as in other sectors like aviation, transport, trade, tourism, media, telecommunication as well as culture and education.

Speaking at the same ceremony, In his speech at the launch ceremony, Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri, the Minister of Economy, said that government had used the revenues from oil production to promote human development, including through the important area of education, and to build the state’s infrastructure. He also emphasised that Emirati women had become an essential partner in the community development process.

UAE : First in the world in government efficiency: In a major international boost and recognition of its governing system, the UAE has been ranked number one (1st) globally in Government Efficiency, achieving the largest jump in the global competitiveness ranking in this year’s Global Competitiveness Yearbook 2013, issued by the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland. The UAE is ranked eighth (8th) most competitive nation in the world.

In a comment on this, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that, thanks to its prudent visions, wise policies, distinguished government and citizens’ efforts, the UAE is now reaping the fruits of empowerment as can be seen in the international appreciation and recognition of its political, economic and administrative efficiency and welfare, security, reassurance and optimism of its people.

“As a result, our country is the first in the world in government efficiency, first in the world in social cohesion, first in the world in values and attitudes, fifth in employment and sixth in business practices, not to mention its advanced position in 19 other indices, rendering the UAE among the world’s top ten in global competitiveness.” “Ranking first in government efficiency is a testimony to the ability and efforts of the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to spark the national energies, develop government work and upgrade government performance.” For his part, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stated: “Led by the President, the UAE people work together as one team; from Al Sila’a to Fujairah, The President cares about every single citizen and he is building a bright future for our entire nation.” He continued: “the continuous collaboration of federal and local government bodies has led to the UAE achieving, in one year, the highest leap in the rankings and to its becoming the eighth (8th) most competitive nation in the world and number one (1st) globally in Government efficiency.” “This accomplishment is the fruits of labour of thousands of teams, in both federal and local government departments across the entire UAE, and constitutes a very clear message to the world that the UAE people will settle with nothing less than being number one,” he added.

This accomplishment must now be followed by even further effort and hard work from everyone, he said, giving directions for the unifying of all efforts to achieve the objectives of the country’s Vision 2021, when the UAE aims to be among the top nations in the world in all fields and aspects. Sheikh Mohammed added that he is optimistic that the people of the UAE will reach the Vision 2021 target before its due date.

UAE leads Arab World in World Happiness Report: The UAE ranked 17th worldwide and topped the list of Arab countries in the UN World Happiness Report, released in April 2012.

Commenting on the result of the UN’s first-ever world happiness and satisfaction survey, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said: ”This achievement could have not been made without the loyalty, dedication and teamwork spirit shown by the people of the UAE and without the excellent cooperation and coordination across the federal and local governments. The development plans we approved, the initiatives we launched and the policies and laws enforced have all but one goal; to bring happiness to the citizens, their families and their children. What we have achieved so far is just an initial milestone that will be followed by harder work and more accomplishments so we can become the world’s best,” he added.

Sheikh Mohammed added: “We are pressing ahead with our plans to invest in our resources to achieve comfort and happiness to all. We have glorious past and a happy present and we will have, by the grace of Allah, a bright future. I call on all citizens of the UAE to be optimistic, to work hard, to live happily, to always seek the blessings of Allah the Almighty in everything they do and to provide happiness to their families and children.” Another survey also found that 91 per cent of UAE citizens believe they enjoy a better quality of life than most of their counterparts in Europe.

“The UAE’s 91 per cent satisfaction rating also exceeds the All Europe Index at 75 per cent as well as those of other leading European nations such as Germany at 88 per cent, Belgium and Britain both scoring 87 per cent, France at 76 per cent, Spain at 73 per cent and Italy at 64 per cent among others,” according to Steve Hamilton-Clark, CEO of TNS MENA, a custom market research organisation.

“The UAE satisfaction rating among nationals is on par with indices for Scandinavian countries, considered the �gold standard’ in such surveys,” he said.

The UAE also took the lead in the Arab World and ranked 19th globally in the the Social Progress Index (SPI), issued by the Skoll World Forum, the premier international platform for accelerating entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social issues. The Social Progress Index is based entirely on social and environmental measures covering basic human needs, foundations of well-being and opportunity.

– ABSHER INITIATIVE In a strategic qualitative step towards Emiratisation, the UAE has launched the Absher initiative, a human resources development vision conceived by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to promote and enhance the participation of national manpower in the labour market.

The programme aims to establish an overall strategic framework to employ UAE citizens under one clear and comprehensive vision in accordance with UAE Vision 2021, which will enhance the skills and participation of citizens in the labour market. By creating more job opportunities for UAE citizens, it will boost the competitive advantage of the national economy, while simultaneously leveraging the socio-economic and professional standards of Emiratis and diversifying their career options.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who rolled out the programme last November, said:’ ‘The initiative is built on four strategic pillars: creating job opportunities for UAE citizens; training and development; vocational guidance; and encouraging UAE citizens to work in the private sector.” He expressed the hope that the initiative would generate 20,000 job opportunities for citizens in the next five years and would provide fertile ground for cultivating strategic public-private partnerships for developing capable Emirati human resources.

Being implemented under the patronage of Ministry of Presidential Affairs with an eye on deep social and economic implications, Absher is also intended to provide a decent life for UAE citizens through stable, competitive and rewarding careers. Its mission is to maximise the participation of UAE citizens in the labour market, and achieve a competitive advantage for the national economy through strategic partnerships in the public and private sectors.

The initiative also seeks to achieve social stability for UAE citizens and their families, to support the government’s strategies and procedures for Emiratisation and to diversify the job opportunities for UAE citizens.

Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs before the official launch of the initiative found that the local job market has promising job opportunities in the short and medium terms. A wide range of leadership, supervisory, executive, administrative, vocational, and professional opportunities are on offer.

In a ceremony to honour the initiative’s partners and stakeholders, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said: “This outstanding initiative by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is an addition to his numerous national and humanitarian initiatives. For him, the citizen is priority number one and the Absher is a great initiative.” So far, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs has signed a series of up to 25 strategic partnership memoranda of understanding with government and private employers regarding the mechanisms through which they will honour their commitments to recruit Emirati job-seekers under the first strategic phase: creating job opportunities for UAE citizens. The Ministry will work on attracting more partners from both sectors.

During 2012, Absher provided employment to more than 1,186 Emirati male and female job-seekers.

Moving ahead, Absher on 2nd April 2013 commenced the implementation of its second strategic programme regarding training and development as part of Emiratisation plans.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, attended the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to activate the partnership between the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Abu Dhabi Council for Tawteen, the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (TANMIA) and the Emirates National Development Programme on employing graduates in the private sector.

Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs, said the ministry will incur 30 per cent of the total salary of a trainee employee, and a certain percentage of the training costs. The programme will recruit 1, 000 Emirati graduates in the first training session.

On 21st May 2013, the initiative took a landmark turn when His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, launched of the second phase of the initiative. He said in a statement that the initiative the interests of the nation and its citizens, and is evidence that the President is interested in fulfilling the requirements and aspirations of the national youth and in providing them with all means of stability and dignified life.

He noted that the UAE harnessed all its resources in service of Emirati nationals.

Sheikh Mohamed also witnessed the signing of a number of agreements between the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and a group of sixteen companies who recently joined the initiative. These agreements provide for creating 3,768 new jobs for Emiratis, out of a total of more than 20,000 jobs planned for the next five years.

A number of prominent national companies have announced their plans to recruit more UAE graduates. The Emirates Group has signed an MoU with Absher committing itself to hire 2,000 more Emiratis over the next five years, while DP World (UAE Region) has signed an MoU on recruiting 345 Emirati men and women over the same period.

Etihad Airways has already added over 260 Emiratis to its workforce, and now has over 1,250 UAE citizens in its seven divisions, 22.4 per cent of the company’ total workforce. It plans to add another 1,500 over the next five years.

Through its Academy, telecommunications provider Etisalat has launched the Kawadir Nationalisation Centre that trains and develops the citizens to full key posts in private sector organisations across the country. local workforce to attain prominent positions across organisations in the country.

The year 2013 has been designated as the year of creating jobs for Emiratis, with a number of initiatives and policies being announced to address the challenge of Emiratisation at all levels.

Unifying efforts of government and private institutions and encouraging national initiatives to enhance Emiratisation and promote education are set to be the main goals of a special action plan being drawn up by the Cabinet. As part of this, the Cabinet has approved the strategy of the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) for 2011-2013 which includes annual training programmes aimed at reducing unemployment and increasing the number of Emiratis working in the private sector. It includes developing a comprehensive Emiratisation database for the UAE.

WAM/TF WAM/MMYS/TF

WAM VIENNA, June 6th, 2013 — Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA, and Dr. Ali Boussaha, Director for the Asia and Pacific Division of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Department, have today signed an Integrated Work Plan (IWP) designed to help in developing a comprehensive framework to ensure steady progress of UAE’s national nuclear power programme.

The UAE-IAEA Integrated Work Plan, which extends from 2013 until 2017, the projected date of on-line operation of the UAE’s first nuclear power plant, includes arrangements to promote cooperation between the UAE and the IAEA in key areas, focusing specifically on nuclear power.

The IWP highlights the scope of IAEA assistance to the UAE in the field of nuclear power, covering: national nuclear capability, nuclear power infrastructure, radiation safety and environment protection, emergency response, as well as radioactive waste management, to help the UAE develop regulations and build a national strategy to effectively handle radioactive waste generated from the nuclear power programme.

It also outlines detailed activities to be accomplished in the 19 infrastructure issues of the IAEA �Milestones’ approach, essential for the success of the nuclear power programme.

“The Integrated Work Plan is an important document which sets the framework of the UAE’s work with all departments of the Agency to the advancement of its national nuclear power programme in the next five years,” said Ambassador Al Kaabi. “The IWP defines an integrated framework for IAEA assistance to national nuclear power development activities, tailored to UAE needs and reflecting national plans as well as recommendations from IAEA” he added.

The signing of the UAE IWP comes as an additional step to the previously concluded Country Profile Framework (CPF) document, fortifying mutual cooperation between the UAE and IAEA towards the ultimate successful progress of its nuclear power programme.

WAM/MN/Moran

WAM Muscat, June 3rd, 2013 (WAM): The Third edition of the Arab Aviation and Media Summit will be held from 25 to 27, June 2013, in Shalala, Sultanate of Oman.

Organized by Air Arabia in partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, Airbus, CNBC Arabia and CFM, the Arab Aviation and Media Summit 2013 is themed, �Aviation and Tourism: Enabler of Economic Growth.’ In addition to assessing the impact of aviation and tourism on regional economic growth, the Summit in its third year will focus on discussing and debating the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry in the wider Arab world.

The two-day event will be featuring high profile panel of speakers and a wide network of editors and media representatives from across the Arab world together debating Arab Aviation and Tourism.

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, said: “The Sultanate of Oman offers a lot when it comes to Travel and Tourism. Hosting the 2013 Arab Aviation ‘&’ Media Summit in Salalah is a great example to the commitment we place in developing the tourism sector in our country. We are glad to join hands with our fellow partners and together bring one of the remarkable Summits that will serve as a timely platform for dialogue and the exchange of ideas between two important stakeholders – industry participants and media.” This year’s Summit will bring together an array of international and regional industry experts, as well as media representatives from across the region to exchange ideas and strategies to address the challenges faced by the sector. Last year, the event drew more than 150 participants that took place in Sharjah.

Mr. Adel A. Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “The Arab world’s aviation and tourism industry has over the years demonstrated its significance to the economic growth. Underscored by job creation and bilateral trade, the sector will continue to be regarded as a catalyst for economic activities in the decades to come, however, the industry still withhold many great opportunities for growth. We are confident that, by joining hands with Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, Airbus and fellow partners, the Summit is uniquely positioned to meet the most pressing needs, in addition to capture future opportunities in this key sector”.

WAM/TF

WAM DUBAI, June 3rd, 2013 — Dubai Cares has announced the launch of its 3-year integrated Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) pilot program in Ethiopia, which is being implemented in 30 schools to address the health and nutrition needs of approximately 30,700 primary school age children in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). According to the World Food Program, 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.

The AED 14.7 million (US$ 4 million) Dubai Cares funded program in Ethiopia is based on a contemporary, cost-effective, nationally-owned and sustainable school health and nutrition model, and aims to enhance primary school enrolment rates, reduce absenteeism and improve the cognitive learning abilities of the children.

Dubai Cares’ commitment to this program goes beyond its mandate to increase children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries; the program aligns with and supports the UN Secretary-General’s 5 year �Global Education First Initiative’, which has prioritized Ethiopia as a key target country.

The Dubai Cares integrated HGSF Program is being implemented by the World Food Program (WFP), Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and SNV-Netherlands, and includes the provision of in-school meals prepared from locally sourced commodities, encouraging the enrolment of children that live in poverty and are constantly battling food insecurity, while also stimulating local economic growth and development. The program provides a valuable opportunity for farmers and producers to generate a structured and predictable demand for their products. In addition to the HGSF component, the program is also inclusive of de-worming treatment and Water, Sanitation ‘&’ Hygiene (WASH) in schools.

Speaking on the launch of the program during a press conference he held in Ethiopia, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Cares said, “Dubai Cares has launched this three-year program to contribute to the evidence base and facilitate informed decision-making and scale-up not only in Ethiopia but also in other countries across the world.” “Having successfully implemented similar HGSF programs in other parts of the world, we look forward to using our experience and insights to develop a successful program while empowering schools and the local community to play an active part in ensuring its success. We believe, through this program, we can significantly impact the country’s educational environment while also providing an ancillary benefit by contributing to the local economy. From a global perspective, such a program has a lot of significance and plays a critical role in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goal 2 of providing primary education to all children in the world”, added Al Gurg.

Derese Getisa, Representative of the Regional Education Bureau in SNNPR, said, “Our region is fortunate to host the HGSF pilot program, which has been supported by Dubai Cares. This project will not only stimulate the local economy by purchasing food commodities from farmer’s associations, but will also support complementary activities such as de-worming, water, hygiene and sanitation to help the children reach their full growth and academic potential.” Praising Dubai Cares’ role in Ethiopia, Dr. Yousuf Al Sabri, the UAE Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, said, “Dubai Cares’ philanthropic efforts in Ethiopia, as well as the humanitarian interventions led by the UAE, reflect the principles of the UAE people and express the government’s direction to provide support to those in need, and make a positive impact on the country’s diplomatic efforts.” Abdou Dieng, Representative and Country Director of WFP in Ethiopia, said, “WFP is delighted to strike a partnership with Dubai Cares and is extremely grateful for its generous donations that will allow us to support more than 30,000 additional school children in impoverished areas for the next three years.” Iain Gardiner, Senior Programme Manager, Partnership for Child Development at Imperial College London, said, “The Dubai Cares funded HGSF program is a leading example of how different stakeholders can effectively pool their expertise to make a real impact on the health, education and wealth of farming communities in Ethiopia.” “The strength of this program lies in the comprehensive approach it takes to improving the health and nutrition of school aged children through school feeding programs supported by improved water and sanitation facilities and de-worming treatment. As part of the program, researchers will be conducting one of the largest school health monitoring surveys ever undertaken within Ethiopia. Using this new evidence base, we will be able to ensure that interventions are targeted to where they are most needed”, added Gardiner.

WAM/TF/Moran