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Food aid campaign for drought-hit Niger

DUBAI — The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Foundation has announced a large-scale food aid campaign for Niger where an estimated three million people are going hungry due to drought and locust attacks.

Ibrahim Bu Melha, Vice-Chairman of Board of Trustees of the Foundation, told mediapersons on Wednesday that the foundation would airlift aid materials including basic food items and clothes to this poor West African nation within the next two days.

He urged people to donate generously for the cause through the foundation’s bank accounts: 01-50-54359-8 with National Bank of Dubai and 01-520-8733333-01 with Dubai Islamic Bank.

“We prefer donations in cash because this will help us buy the most needed food items for the poverty-stricken people. However, residents can also donate food items like rice, sugar, dates, cooking oil, milk powder, etc. in addition to clothes,” said Bu Melha.

He noted that the food aid campaign is in line with the directives of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Minister of Defence and patron of the Foundation, and in response to a plea by the Niger government to the international community for emergency food aid. Bu Melha added the campaign is being organised in coordination with other charity organisations such as the Dubai Charity Association which has already donated 250 tonnes of rice. Several companies and private establishments have donated large quantities of foodstuff.

Besides, individuals like Mohammed Saeed Al Ghaith, AbdulRahim Al Zaruni and Jamal Al Ghurair have also come forward with large-scale donations in cash and kind.

• UAE