Local aid, including food and clothes, provided by Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) reached Dh81.1 million in the first half of 2015, helping 806,523 people across the UAE.

The aid was distributed within the charity organisation's several projects, and included humanitarian help, medical aid, rehabilitation of the disabled and helping families of prisoners.

Announcing the official numbers, Saeed Rashid Al Mansouri, Deputy Secretary General of Local Affairs at the ERC, said the highest amount of money was given to its student programme totalling Dh18.7 million.

For its humanitarian project, Dh17.3 million was given, while its medical aid programme saw Dh13 million donated.

Additionally, the assistance of prisoners' families saw Dh5.1 million donated, with 1,737 families being reached by the Red Crescent's support. Dh3 million was donated to its rehabilitation of the disabled project, and Dh552,500 was given to support local institutions.

Following the announcement of its local aid distribution, Emirates Red Crescent also became the first humanitarian organisation in the UAE to receive ISO certification from the International Organisation for Standardisation.

The group was specifically given the ISO 9001:2008 certification which, according to the ISO, is based on meeting the following criteria: "Strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. Using ISO 9001:2008 helps ensure that customers get consistent, good quality products and services.”

Dr Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of Emirates Red Crescent commenting on the recognition, said, "The certification shows the commitment to support and develop its services on an ongoing basis … obtaining the certificate will make us continue to develop and improve the services provided by the authority, especially in the domestic arena for its beneficiaries.”

"This achievement reflects the vision of the senior leadership to adopt the best practices that reach the highest levels of customer and staff satisfaction. The ISO certification represents a turning point for the Red Crescent's move towards excellence and innovation, and enhances the gains made in the delivery of humanitarian services,” he added.

Mohammed Yousuf Al Fahim, Vice Secretary-General for Support Services at the ERC, said the recognition is due to the world-class services provided by the ERC, and added that the organisation was continuing to improve and adapt in line with the UAE's smart government policies.

"The Red Crescent has made great strides in quality management, excelling in services, and easing the procedures which have gained customer satisfaction. We have recently launched a number of services that enhance our programmes and improve performance, in line with the general strategy of the UAE's smart government policy, making all our services easily accessible to customers,” he said.
Source: Gulf News