Don't stop giving, UAE charities urge

Ramadan may be over but that's no reason to stop giving, say charities.

Red Crescent workers hand out clothes in Pakistan during Ramadan as part of its bid to clothe a million children. Thanks to a donation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the campaign was so successful, the charity will provide clothing for three million youngsters. WamShow less

Charities are urging people to keep giving even though Ramadan is over.
Residents have been applauded for their strong support of causes both at home and abroad.
Among the charitable highlights of the month was Sheikh Zayed Day for Humanitarian Work, which paid tribute to the founding President's humanitarian legacy through a series of events and initiatives across the country.
The campaign by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to clothe a million children was another huge success, raising Dh20 million more than hoped.
Thanks to a generous donation from Sheikh Mohammed, it will now clothe three million children. The Vice President said the UAE was a "goodness capital, and a minaret for giving, and a kind hand of relief to the deprived wherever they are".
He also thanked the Red Crescent Authority, which is carrying out the campaign on the ground, among others.
Thousands of children have already received clothes in Bosnia, Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Uganda, as well as Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.
Delegations will be sent soon to Iraq, Somalia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Sheikh Mohammed has also set up a non-profit medical charity, Al Jalila Foundation, which announced last week that it had raised more than Dh60m since its launch in April, with many donations coming in during Ramadan. The charity hopes to raise Dh100m within its first year.
This money will be spent on researching into diseases, offering scholarships to medical students and providing health care for those who cannot afford it.
Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, the foundation's chief executive, said he wanted to "put the UAE on the map for research and development in health care".
Prospective donors and partners should contact [e-mail] or call 800 ALJALILA (25525452) for more information.
Charities across the country are appealing for support for their causes to continue all year round.
Dr Ahmad Al Emam, of the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, said he was surprised that so many people gave blood while fasting and thanked all donors.
But he warned that the bank was always in need of donors, especially those with rarer negative blood types.
"We need more all the time, and remind all donors to come again when they can," he said. "We ask them to become registered donors because if we run low, we can call them and ask them to help.
"Giving blood is easy and doesn't take long but it saves a life."
Dr Al Emam said some donors had withdrawn during Ramadan, preferring to use the month as a spiritual time. "But surgeries will restart soon, so we ask people who couldn't donate during Ramadan to think about doing it now. It would be a great help for patients," he said.
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