
Dubai Charity Association donates AED1.5 million to Dubai Health programmes, initiatives
Of the total amount, AED1 million has been allocated to Al Jalila Foundation's A'awen programme, which provides financial assistance to patients in need of critical medical treatment across the UAE. The remaining AED500,000 will fund medical scholarships at MBRU, supporting the development of future healthcare professionals.
The contribution highlights Dubai Charity Association's continued commitment to strengthening healthcare and education, sectors that play a fundamental role in community wellbeing and long-term progress.
The generous support was presented by Dubai Charity Association Executive Director Ahmed Ibrahim Al Suwaidi to Dr. Amer Al Zarooni, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation at Dubai Health headquarters, in the presence of Dubai Charity Association Board Vice Chairman Mostafa Karam and Board Member and Treasurer of the Association Eng. Adel Obaid Al Suwaidi.
Al Suwaidi commented, 'Our collaboration with Al Jalila Foundation and MBRU reflects a commitment to sustainable development and social wellbeing. We believe in supporting institutions that drive long-term change, and we're confident this contribution will help advance healthcare.'
Dr. Al Zarooni affirmed, 'We are proud to partner with Dubai Charity Association, whose support continues to strengthen our mission. Their investment in medical care and education enables us to transform lives and contribute to building a healthcare system that delivers lasting impact.
He added that this contribution also aligns with the goals of Dubai Social Agenda 33, which aims to build the most efficient healthcare ecosystem.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Gaza's rescuers want to help the stricken but now they're 'too weak to stand'
In famished Gaza, the daily battle for survival is now shared by the very people who rush to save lives. The same rescuers who pull survivors from the rubble are fighting their own slow death from starvation, unable to find food or rest, operating on empty stomachs and pure willpower. Their patients, injured and weak, lie in makeshift hospital beds, denied even the basic nutrition their bodies need to heal. 'There is nothing in the markets. Not for civilians. Not for hospital workers. Not for ambulance officers or civil defence teams,' said Fares Afaneh, who oversees emergency and ambulance services in northern Gaza. 'Famine is hitting Gaza now with its most severe intensity,' he told The National, delivering his words with a steady urgency forged under fire and by desperation. As Gaza's health system collapses under relentless Israeli bombardment, famine has emerged as a silent killer, and its cruelty is indiscriminate. 'It's become normal now,' Mr Afaneh said. 'If no one brings us food, our medics survive their entire shifts on water. And when there is food, it's rice, if we're lucky.' Across Gaza, the connection between saviour and saved is brutally visible. It is a shared suffering, a mirror image of exhaustion, of skeletal arms and hollowed eyes, of men and women whose bodies are shutting down while duty compels them forward. More than 100 humanitarian organisations warned this week that their own colleagues in Gaza, as well as those they seek to serve, are 'wasting away' from mass hunger. News agencies AP, Reuters and AFP, as well as the BBC, said their reporters were 'increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families'. In March, Israeli troops killed 15 Palestinian emergency workers near their ambulance, in a shooting that drew international condemnation. Israel said a commander mistook them for Hamas militants due to 'poor night visibility'. Carers struggling Twenty days ago, 11-year-old Yousef Abu Shanab was playing beside his home in Gaza city when a quadcopter drone dropped a bomb near him. The explosion left shrapnel lodged in his spinal cord, paralysing the lower half of his body. Now, he lies still, not only paralysed but starving. His 20-year-old brother Wasim tries to care for him. 'He needs protein, calcium,' Wasim said. 'Anything to help his body fight, but there is nothing.' Yousef's fate is heartbreakingly common. Doctors know what he needs: surgical follow-up, rehabilitation and above all, nutrition, but Gaza offers none of these. The system designed to save him is itself on life support. Meanwhile, ambulance crews such as Mr Afaneh's risk their lives daily to reach patients like Yousef. But even these frontline stalwarts are falling. 'Three of my team members have already been hospitalised because of starvation,' Mr Afaneh said. 'They were too weak to continue. We had to give them IV fluids. How can we help others if we can't even stand?' In Al Shati Camp, 33-year-old Moamen Balha and his wife were struck by a shell while sheltering inside a tent. His injuries were serious, but survivable. What he didn't expect was how hard it would be to recover with nothing to eat. 'I need food to heal – protein, calcium, something to give me strength to walk again,' Mr Balha told The National. 'But there is nothing. This is a slow death.' The men who once would have rushed to help him – medics and emergency responders – are now in the same condition. Many are working 18-hour shifts or worse without food, without sleep, with no fuel for their ambulances and no certainty they'll make it home alive. Gaza's rescue workers are running on pure grit, and some have nothing left to give. 'It's not that they don't want to work,' Mr Afaneh said. 'It's that they physically cannot continue.' He supervises 20 officers. He says it plainly: 'I am powerless to provide what they need, even bread. We're under siege, forgotten. This is not just neglect. It's a crime.' In another part of Gaza, Osama Abdullah, 30, watches his daughter fade. She suffered a spinal fracture from an air strike and needs surgery, but the medical system cannot help her. She also needs something simpler: food. 'She cries from the pain of her injury, and from hunger,' Mr Abdullah said. 'I can't even find her bread. Her healing is impossible like this.' He dreams of getting her out of Gaza, but for now, he shares the same fate as the paramedics and the wounded across the strip: helplessness. There are no safe zones in Gaza, where hunger has not just blurred the line between rescuer and rescued, but erased it. Paramedics are collapsing before they can reach the injured. The injured are dying slowly because there is no food to power their recovery. Parents, doctors, children and civil defence workers are trapped in a cycle of suffering that deepens each day. Mr Afaneh issued a final plea, not just as a commander but as a human being: 'We hold the international community responsible. Our medics, our injured, our people, they need support, they need food, they need medicine. And they need it now.'


Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
How a UAE-led humanitarian initiative is saving Afghan mothers and children
When Shazia Mohammadi recently gave birth to her seventh child, it marked a historic moment ‚ not just for her family, but for thousands of Afghan mothers like her — who now have access to life-saving medical care through a UAE-led humanitarian initiative. 'Previously, we only had to give birth at home. But this clinic near our house has been a blessing,' said Shazia. Her husband, Ramadan, noted that it was their first experience to have professional medical care after six previous home births. Shazia and Ramadan are thankful to the Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI), a joint venture between Sheikha Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed and Tanweer Investments in Afghanistan. It operates 10 clinics across seven provinces in Afghanistan, serving over 100,000 people through a project that impacts healthcare, education, and employment. FBMI's healthcare network provides maternity care, emergency obstetric services, pediatric care, and free vaccinations. Each facility serves over 100 patients daily, with culturally sensitive care delivered by locally trained staff. Beyond healthcare, FBMI's educational initiatives have supported over 20,000 children since 2010, providing literacy, numeracy, and health awareness programs. According to their leadership, FBMI approaches solutions and impact through the provision of healthcare, jobs and education. Watch the video below: 'These three pillars work together to create long-term stability,' FBMI CEO Maywand Jabarkhyl told Khaleej Times. 'Employment through our social enterprises gives families a reliable income, which supports access to healthcare and education," he added. Since 2010, FBMI has employed over 8,000 Afghans across sectors including healthcare support, agriculture, and carpet weaving. The programme creates sustainable employment while ensuring children receive education and families access medical care. 'The effect is transformative. Employment brings income, but more importantly, it brings dignity, stability, and hope. Families can send their children to school, afford basic needs, and take control of their futures,' said Jabarkyhl. Operating in Afghanistan presents its own set of challenges due to the geopolitical environment. 'The biggest challenge has been operating within the current uncertainty in Afghanistan,' said Jabarkhyl, adding: 'Political shifts, economic instability, and disruptions in infrastructure make it difficult to maintain consistency.' Cultural integration remains central to FBMI's way of working. 'Cultural understanding is built into every aspect of our work, We consult with community elders, employ local teams, and design programs that are in harmony with Afghan traditions and values.' The programme's success has inspired a broader expansion plan. 'Over the next 50 years, we aim to extend our reach to other countries in need,' noted Jabarkhyl. FBMI has already expanded into Tanzania and Zanzibar and looks forward to driving impact in other parts of the world.

Zawya
12 hours ago
- Zawya
Turkish Doctors Bring Hope to Patients in Tanzania
With the support of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), a healthcare initiative was carried out in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, offering free medical examinations, treatments, and medications to the local population. Held from June 29 to July 10, 2025, the comprehensive health campaign was organized in collaboration with TİKA and Yeryüzü Doktorları Association. In collaboration with TİKA and Yeryüzü Doktorları, a healthcare initiative was launched to provide medical examinations, treatment, and medications to the local population. The initiative provided vital medical services to residents of the region, prioritizing women, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses. In addition to general health check-ups, specialized care was offered in fields such as pediatrics, women's health, ophthalmology, and dentistry. The health initiative, supported by TİKA and carried out in cooperation with local health units, also featured short-term training seminars for local healthcare professionals, contributing to the long-term sustainability of medical services in the region. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).