The national branches of the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, are working to promote its local humanitarian presence by providing various aid to needy humanitarian causes, patients and other vulnerable categories, as per the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC. 

Under this framework, and in continuation of the ERC’s local humanitarian efforts, the ERC branch in Sharjah has provided significant and diverse humanitarian aid. 

Abdullah Ali Ghanem Al Muhairi, Director of the ERC Branch in Sharjah, stated that the total aid provided by his branch during the Year of Giving amounted to AED16.502 million, which has benefitted 75,368 national and resident families in Sharjah. 

The ERC’s Sharjah branch also provided a variety of humanitarian aid, amounting to AED3.721 million, and 1,437 families and 6,958 individuals have benefited from its humanitarian aid programmes, he added. 

Al Muhairi stressed that his branch has provided medical aid amounting to AED4,464,178, which has benefited over 207 families and 643 individuals, as well as financial assistance to students worth AED4,42,719, assisting 1,091 families, 5,897 individuals and 1,296 students. The branch also provided financial assistance to prisoners worth AED964,948, which helped 45 families of prisoners and 372 individuals. 

Al Muhairi noted that the branch has implemented the Ramadan Ration Programmes, worth AED449,000, which assisted 714 families and 2,972 individuals through its Ramadan Ration coupons. It also launched the Zakat Al Fitr Project, which provided aid to 554 families and 2,306 individuals, as well as the Ramadan Iftar Project in six locations, which offered Iftar tents worth AED775,000 and benefitted 68,970 families and 970 individuals, he said. 

The ERC branch in Sharjah also spent AED 493,375 to benefit 58 families, 265 individuals and 60 students, who are people of determination, as well as financial support to five local public and private foundations, worth AED189,000. 

Al Muhairi highlighted the interest of the ERC’s Sharjah branch to serve members of the local community in the areas of education and health, and the branch has provided a variety of medical humanitarian aid through the ERC Medical Centre in Sharjah.