UAE brings hope to children of Yemen

The Emirates Red Crescent has rebuilt more than 154 schools in the southern Yemeni city that were damaged or destroyed during fighting with the Houthos, reports Mohammed Al Qalisi.

The 26 September school in Aden's Al Buraiqah district was severely damaged during the war but reopened on Sunday after being rebuilt by the Emirates Red Crescent. Mohammed Al Qalisi/The National

ADEN // Dozens of schools reopened in Aden on Sunday in a landmark project by the Emirates Red Crescent to restore stability to the lives of thousands of children in Yemen.
Dr Mohammed Al Falahi, the organisation's secretary general, said he expected every pupil in Aden to be able to return to school after Eid Al Adha.
More than 154 schools in the port city were damaged or destroyed in fighting with Houthi rebels. The Red Crescent has been rebuilding them all, and 33 reopened on Sunday.
Dr Al Falahi relaunched the 26 September primary school in Al Buraiqah, together with the head of Aden's reconstruction committee, Brig Gen Abdullah Al Dhaheri of the UAE, and the Yemeni government minister for local administration, Abdulraqeeb Al Aswadi.
Fawzia Ahmed, 26 September's head teacher, was devastated when her school was damaged during the fighting.
But after the UAE rebuilt it, "I became very optimistic as teaching will begin after Eid", she said.
Aden was liberated in July by fighters loyal to the government of president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, backed by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition that includes the UAE.
Dr Al Falahi also met Yemen's prime minister Khalid Bahah to discuss the Red Crescent's role in reconstructing Aden and the wider country. Mr Bahah thanked the UAE leadership for its support of the Yemeni people.
"Our work will not be just in Aden," Dr Al Falahi said. "We will reach out to all Yemeni provinces after freeing them from the Houthis."
The Red Crescent is running 11 aid projects in Aden during Eid, including the distribution of meat to the families of martyred loyalist fighters and clothes for the disabled, and rebuilding Kawd beach.
It is also helping to restore health services in Aden, providing equipment to the city's disabled association, rebuilding Al Nour Institute for the blind and rebuilding maternity health centres in the Crater, Al Tawahi and Al Buraiqah districts.
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