Ambassador Wahba’s Remarks at American Business Group
Charity Ball, October 1, 2003
Members of the ABG, Your Excellencies Saeed Saif Bin Jaber al Suwaidi, President, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Za’abi, Red Crescent Board Member and Director of Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ladies and gentlemen, friends:
I am pleased to address the ABG once again, particularly at an event that benefits the UAE Red Crescent Authority and it’s outstanding work both in the UAE and at the international level. I therefore commend the American Business Group for sponsoring this ball in recognition of the Red Crescent’s global role in support of humanitarian needs. Like our Emirati colleagues, Americans at home and overseas share a long-held tradition of philanthropy and charitable giving. More than 70 percent of American households donated to charities in 2002, totaling some $240 billion dollars.
This charity ball recognizes and highlights the UAE’s own commitment to philanthropy, both at home and abroad. Under the visionary leadership and generosity of the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan AI-Nahyan, and the Chairman of the Red Crescent Authority, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayid AI-Nahyan, the RCA has been a powerful force for improving the lives of the less fortunate in places such as Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories, Iraq, throughout Africa, as well as closer to home in the UAE. As we look around the region we see the evidence of the Red Crescent’s good work. Their humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people is ongoing and substantial. The RCA was the first Arab NGO on the ground in Kabul following the fall of the Taliban regime, and has supplied medicine and supplies to Afghan hospitals, established refugee camps, and provided food and clothing to homeless Afghans.
In addition to its humanitarian assistance activities in Afghanistan, the RCA is continuing its aid programs to the Palestinians. The UAE has been the largest source of aid from the Arab world to the Palestinians over the past three difficult years and the RCA has played a preponderate role in that effort.
In Iraq the role of the Red Crescent has been considerable. The RCA has undertaken robust humanitarian operations within Iraq, and serves as the umbrella organization for many other UAE NGOs’ relief efforts in Iraq. The RCA spent millions to stockpile food and medical supplies in Iraqi villages and hospitals before the war, and in emergency humanitarian aid immediately after the war. The RCA also quickly began an “air bridge” of humanitarian flights to Baghdad, Basrah, and Mosul to support Iraqi hospitals.
The RCA continues to contribute millions of dollars to rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure particularly Iraq’s health and water and sanitation sectors. Those activities include a water treatment plant in Basrah and three other water treatment plants in the surrounding areas; the complete renovation and refurbishment of six hospitals including the large Shaykh Zayid Hospital in Baghdad that is now servicing close to 1,500 patients a day.
Ladies and gentlemen, I could spend the rest of this evening describing to you the good works of the RCA, but the reputation and activities of this organization are well known to us all. The RCA carries out the vision of His Highness Sheikh Zayed to improve the lives of people around the world and aid them in times of extraordinary need. I would like to thank all of you for attending this event, thereby recognizing and contributing to the success of the RCA’s ongoing and future humanitarian programs. I would also like to thank the ABG for bringing us all together to applaud the outstanding international relief work of the RCA. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.
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