Damascus - The director of the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) in Syria, Panos Moumtzis, has praised the UAE for its continuous support for the Palestinian people and for UNRWA's humanitarian and development programmes. Moumtzis made the remark during a special ceremony held here to lay the foundation stone of the Al Jowra Girls Preparatory School at the Sabena Refugee Camp here in Damascus. The school is being built by the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA).
A delegation from the RCA, led by Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mahmoud, currently in Syria to sensitive himself with the situation in the Palestinian refugee camp, UAE Ambassador to Syria, Yusuf Mohammed Al Midfae, a number of senior Palestinian officials and members of the diplomatic corps attended the ceremony.
Moumtzis said the UAE's efforts were a good example for humanitarian organisations worldwide, adding that UNRWA and all other UN bodies greatly appreciate the UAE's efforts and cited the over 24 open heart surgery conducted in recent months by a UAE open heart medical team for poor Palestinian patients. He expressed profound gratitude to the UAE government, leader, President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and to all the UAE people.
Al-Mahmoud said the laying of the foundation stone of the school was part of the RCA's continuous humanitarian programmes in support of the Palestinian people, adding that it also aimed at boosting educational facilities at the camp.
He put the total cost of the school project at over US$780,000 and the total assistance from his outfit to the Palestinians in recent years at Dh700 million. This, he said, was in addition to over Dh2 billion assistance the UAE provided for other humanitarian projects in Palestine. He expressed profound gratitude to the Syrian government, the UNRWA and to all those who contributed in various ways to the project. (Emirates News Agency, WAM)