The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has launched a Dh37.6 million ($10.2 million) Ramadan campaign to support needy families in the UAE and around the world.
The Ramadan Continuous Giving Campaign, launched on Sunday, will provide millions of people with Eid clothing, Ramadan food parcels and iftar meals, Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
It aims to support 1.8 million people in the UAE and 44 countries across Asia, Europe and South America.
The first day of Ramadan is expected to fall on March 11 this year, after the UAE's International Astronomy Centre announced the sighting of the Sheban crescent moon on February 10.
This marked the countdown to the month-long fast.
The ERC will also launch women-only Ramadan and iftar tents for the first time. They will be located in various sites across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman.
Donation sites
There will be 321 donation collection sites in all emirates and located in malls, popular markets and densely populated areas.
Citizens and residents can still donate through the ERC's donation centres, website, apps, bank deposits, text messages, cash donation boxes and various in-person donation collection locations.
Rashid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the ERC, said the campaign aims to provide support and assistance to those within the UAE and around the world.
He said the campaign also aims to alleviate suffering, improve life and preserve human dignity, as well as combat poverty, hunger and diseases.
Mr Al Mansouri stressed that the ERC is keen to expand its Ramadan programmes in a number of countries who need urgent humanitarian assistance, such as the Gaza Strip.
He said the ERC has worked to strengthen its Ramadan programmes in Gaza to provide 10,000 Iftar meals to Palestinians during the holy month.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi has also completed its preparations to welcome thousands of worshippers and visitors during Ramadan.
It has provided more than 70 electric cars to transport worshippers from car parks to prayer halls, with priority going to the elderly and disabled, as well as about 50,000 breakfast meals for workers.
It has also provided more than 1,480 carpets for worshippers and cleaned and sterilised carpets in the mosque's halls and courtyard to ensure the safety of worshippers.
Ramadan is observed by more than 1.8 billion Muslims and is believed to be the month when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
Fasting during the holy month is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims who are in good health.
Preparations around the world ahead of Ramadan – in pictures
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A displaced Palestinian child sells handmade Ramadan lanterns in Rafah. AFP -
Muslims gather to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan at the Omar Ibn Al-Khatab Mosque, in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. EPA -
People visit the graves of family members in Surabaya, during a tradition before the start of Ramadan. AFP -
An Egyptian baker prepares Knafeh ahead of Ramadan in Giza, Egypt. EPA -
A vendor of copper Islamic figures at his shop at El Moez Street in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters -
Traditional sweets are prepared ahead of Ramadan, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. EPA -
Workers clean the carpet in the Badshahi Mosque in preparation for Ramadan, Lahore, Pakistan. AP -
People buy prayer caps in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
People shop for decorations at a shop in Beirut, Lebanon. AP -
A Pakistani man cleans a mosque in Karachi, Pakistan. AP -
A woman stands in front of the Lagos Central Mosque in Lagos. AFP -
Palestinian children look at toys in Gaza city, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, as Ramadan nears. AFP -
A view of the Ramadan lights installation at Piccadilly Circus in London. AP -
An Iraqi man sells traditional lanterns at the Shorja market in central Baghdad. AFP -
People attend the opening of the Ramadan Market in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA -
People celebrate along a street ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Giza, Egypt. EPA
