Health and nutrition support to reach more than 30,000 children and 21,000 mothers

Dubai Cares partnership will provide food aid to 30,000 children in Ethiopia.

Westport, Conn. (August 26, 2008) — Dubai Cares, a charitable establishment that aims to provide access to primary education in developing countries, today announced its partnership with Save the Children to provide lifesaving assistance to thousands of women and children affected by the growing food crisis in Ethiopia. 

The Ethiopia initiative marks an expansion in the scope of an existing partnership between Dubai Cares and Save the Children, which was announced in April and has, to date, supported primary education programs in Sudan and Yemen. 

Dubai Cares is partnering with Save the Children to initiate emergency nutrition programs to aid malnourished Ethiopian children and women in drought-affected regions, specifically in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region, Oromiya and Somalia Regional State.

Dubai Cares' support will help Save the Children provide key health and nutrition aid through community-based therapeutic care sites as the agency seeks to assist nearly 26,000 moderately malnourished children and 4,900 severely malnourished children under the age of 5 in these regions. The program will also reach 21,600 pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Her Excellence Reem Al Hashimy, U.A.E. Minister of State and chairperson of Dubai Cares board of directors, said: "We are committed to providing emergency relief to the people of Ethiopia during this time of great need. The escalating food crisis triggered by a growing drought and rising food prices has put large numbers of Ethiopian children and their families at risk."

"This partnership with Dubai Cares is significant," said Margaret Schuler, Save the Children's country director in Ethiopia. "It will allow Save the Children to access critically needed food commodities to support the needs of thousands of children in Ethiopia who are the most dramatically impacted by the current food crisis. We greatly appreciate the support." 

Since its launch, Dubai Cares has established itself as a multi-lateral, nonprofit organization, with its operations based on international best practices for foundations worldwide to ensure full financial transparency. The charitable organization has positioned itself as a strategic coordinator actively engaged with international aid agencies to develop primary education programs and to ensure immediate impact on the ground. It is the largest charitable establishment in the world devoted to improving primary education.

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