Emirates Red Crescent to spend Dh45m on food and clothes for Eid Al Adha campaign

Low-income families in 68 countries, including the UAE, will be given meat – which is an Islamic tradition during Eid Al Adha - and new clothes will be distributed to children

Emirates Red Crescent will distribute food and clothes to more than 200,000 under-privileged families worldwide for Eid Al Adha. Wam

Emirates Red Crescent will distribute more than Dh45 million worth of food and clothes around the world to more than 200,000 under-privileged families for Eid Al Adha.

Low-income families in 68 countries, including the UAE, will be given meat, which is an Islamic tradition for the holidays, and children will receive new clothes under the charity's theme of "Their Happiness Makes our Eid".

"The point is to make a child who could not afford new clothes happy, and to provide a joyful meal to a family who was deprived of meat," said Mohammed Al Remeithi, acting head of local affairs at the charity.

Almost 18,000 goats, from the UAE and abroad, will be butchered.

The authority launched its annual pre-Eid campaign yesterday to invite donors to take part.

A donation of Dh550 pays for the sacrifice of one goat and the distribution of its meat to families in the UAE.

Those seeking to help under-privileged families outside the country can donate Dh350.

Of the Dh45m for this year's campaign, Dh10.4m will be spent on buying and distributing meat inside the UAE, Dh1.2m to buy Eid clothes for children, and Dh3m on charitable activities during the holiday.

Another Dh30m will be spent on related projects, the details of which were not provided by Emirates Red Crescent.

About 55,000 families in the UAE will be helped by the campaign, and 161,000 people worldwide.

The countries to benefit include Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Senegal, Uganda, India, the Philippines, Maldives, Thailand, China and other countries across the Far East and Africa.

Families in Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Italy, New Zealand, Mexico and Brazil will also be given meat and clothes during the campaign.

Despite some of the benefiting countries being considered wealthy by some, an ERC spokesman said: "One would be surprised to find out how many families cannot afford meat there. Even in the United States you'll find many."

Mr Al Remeithi said that as far as the charity was concerned, distance was no object when it came to helping the disadvantaged, especially on occasions such as Eid.

"Regardless of the obstacles or distances, the Emirates Red Crescent is always leading the way to grant the wish of deprived children or needy families," he said.