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Red Crescent ups aid efforts for Lebanese

Baligh Al Awadi, RC's public relations officer, said that in the capital alone Red Crescent is involved with almost half a dozen fundraising projects.

"For Lebanon only, we have organised charity campaigns through Abu Dhabi Mall, Marina Mall, a few international hotels and the Lebanese Embassy," Al Awadi told Khaleej Times.

Apart from these public campaigns, individual UAE nationals and expatriates donate daily for the Lebanese cause.

"Every day around 75 people call our centres to make a donation. Roughly, they give about Dh2,000 each," said Al Awadi.

He added that some of the more wealthy families in Abu Dhabi have offered as much as Dh30,000 to Dh50,000.

"Before the UN resolution came into effect, a lady gave 54,000, one of the biggest individual donations received so far," revealed the RC representative, adding: "she even refused to write her name on the receipt because she didn't want to publicise her magnanimity".

Often, that is why the generosity of private donators may go unnoticed, but that doesn't mean it is not appreciated, he added.

So far, Red Crescent has spent Dh34,951,598 on relief aid in Lebanon. A majority of this amount went to displaced Lebanese.

Also, there are now several RC centres in the most damaged parts of the country, as well as on the Lebanon-Syrian border, which help the returnees with medical, food and other essential relief.

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