Emirates Red Crescent’s higher committee for foreign aid has approved more than Dh24 million for international relief operations, with the bulk supporting Iraqi and Syrian refugees. Iraqi internally displaced persons and Syrian refugees in Iraq’s Kurdistan region will benefit from Dh18.1m of the Dh24.6m aid package, the state news agency Wam reported.
As a result of an influx of refugees in Iraq and Syria, some of the money will go towards shelter and education projects. ERC will also expand its operations to cope with the demand for help.
In its first meeting this year, the committee also approved Dh6.13m worth of cash assistance for underprivileged people in Somalia, Morocco, the Philippines, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Serbia.
Medical assistance worth Dh403,370 will also go to patients who have chronic diseases, living in India, Yemen, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.
In addition, Dh5.17m is to be used for relief and humanitarian programmes in Palestine.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Bahrain GP
Friday qualifying: 7pm (8pm UAE)
Saturday race: 7pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports