Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has pledged Dh35 million to help people in one of the poorest parts of the world.
It will be used to bolster the quality of life among the 360,000 inhabitants of Comoros.
The investment strategy, part of the Mother of the Nation programme, has been launched to enhance the social and financial development of the archipelago.
ADFD signed an agreement with Emirates Red Crescent to boost the public sector, particularly health and education, on the islands.
“Through this agreement we seek to support sustainable development and improve the living standards of people of the Comoros by ensuring their access to basic services,” said Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD.
The development projects will focus on boosting the agricultural sector as well as setting up clinics and modern schools to improve education and health care.
“This will significantly help families in developing their skills, achieving self-sufficiency, besides boosting economic activities and creating new job opportunities across various regions of the Comoros,” he said.
Made up of three islands off the east coast of Africa – Anjouan, Grande Comore and Moheli – Comoros is regarded as one of the poorest countries in the world.
The average annual wage is said to be about $600 to $700 (Dh2,203 to 2,570).
The money allocated for the project will be used to support the establishment of a clothes factory, costing Dh4.5m, said to benefit 90,000 people.
Dh10m will be spent on a school dormitory with 52 rooms for about 500 pupils.
Another Dh13m will provide dialysis equipment serving two “mother and child” centres that serve up to 260,000 patients annually, while Dh3m is allocated towards the establishment of a separate dialysis clinic, at a centre that treats about 2,500 patients each year.
An “agriculture and livestock” project to support 1,200 families will be created to the cost of Dh1.5m and a model school for up to 1,000 children will be constructed, at Dh3m.
“These projects demonstrate the UAE’s mission to support development projects that cater to the sectors that directly affect the well-being of local population,” said Dr Mohammad Al Falahi, secretary general of ERC.
“Such initiatives reinforce ERC’s leading role in implementing projects and programmes that serve millions of people across the globe.”
The UAE has delivered financial support to Comoros since 1979.
In this time, Dh436 million has been invested into the country to support its infrastructure and encourage economic growth.
