The Emirate widespread campaign starts Friday to support and aid the brotherly people of Yemen who suffer due to a lack of food. The United Arab Emirates took the lead, through an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the State, may Allah protect him. He, at early time, realized how serious the disaster faced by our brothers, so he granted them half a billion dirhams for the provision of food, as a first step of the program of the support and assistance launched the UAE.

Reports confirmed that more than ten million Yemenis, including about one million children, are facing severe food shortage, as a result of the wars and the various political crises shaking up the country since early 2011. It is reported that, after more than a year of the outbreak of the first protest in what became known as Peaceful Youth Revolution, provision of food, water and electricity supplies has become a common demand for thousands of Yemenis experiencing severe shortage in food and basic services. International reports indicate that about half of Yemeni people are at risk of hunger.

The UAE Red Crescent wanted the UAE natives and residents to contribute to good, so it launched the campaign "Their Support", to support the brotherly people of Yemen, which was announced by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan, representative of the Ruler in the Western Region and Head of the Red Crescent. The campaign is a reflection of keenness by leadership and people of the UAE to pay attention to the current humanitarian situations in Yemen. His Highness called for concerted efforts in this ordeal faced by our brothers in Yemen, not only in the UAE, but also at the regional and international levels to reduce the suffering and improve the situations.

"Their Support" campaign, launched by the Red Crescent, starts 29 June 2012, after the Friday prayer. The campaign will last for three days in the UAE, in collaboration with Khalifa bin ZAayed al Nahyan Humanitarian Foundation and Mohamed bin Rashed Humanitarian and Charitable Foundation, and in coordination with national media to mobilize support for our brothers in Yemen. There will also be centers to raise funds in the major malls in some emirates, through which we can contribute our donations.

All of us – individuals and institutions – will hopefully contribute to and eagerly compete to provide support for humanitarian situations in Yemen, especially with the fact that we are at the doors of Ramadan month, may Allah help us fast its days and perform its night prayers. Allah has granted us pleasant living, thus we should support and assist others in their ordeals, this is what the UAE natives and residents are known of.

Our role today, as natives and residents of the UAE, is to provide all material support for the brotherly people of Yemen, with whom we have brotherly links, and to contribute to this campaign. The heat of summer is unbearable, food shortage is not an easy thing and hunger is ruthless, especially that a million children are facing hunger in Yemen, according to official reports.