UAE associations raise funds for Iraq, UNESCO calls for emergency aid, EU donor conference
Iraq-Regional, Economics, 12/23/1998

Charity associations in the United Arab Emirates launched on Tuesday a fund-raising campaign for Iraq at the initiative of Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammed Ben Rashid Al-Maktoum.

According to the local media, the associations will start collecting assistance in cash and in kind to support the Iraqi people following the US-British strikes.

An official at one of the associations said bank accounts were opened in four banks and the assistance will be shipped by the ferry which has been servicing since last November Dubai and Oum Qasr (southern Iraq).

Relations between Iraq and the UAE have been frozen since the Gulf War of 1991 but Abu Dhabi authorities have called several times for the lifting of the sanctions enforced against Iraq.

In Paris, UNESCO chief, Federico Mayor, launched an appeal to the international community and the United Nations Organization to "take urgent measures to alleviate the sufferings of Iraqis, especially children."

Mayor said the recent events showed that unlimited resources can be collected for war. I hope that our effort to help the Iraqi people will not be restricted to a mere charity act."

Meanwhile, Germany called for a European meeting to examine the humanitarian situation in Iraq. Spokesman of the foreign ministry of Germany, which will take over next January the EU rotating chairmanship, said the EU's 15-member states are holding talks on these issues and Germany will include the improvement of Iraqis' living conditions as one of the goals of the German presidency.

Germany also wants Europeans to coordinate their policy on Iraq which would revolve on drastic inspection of Iraq's armament, increased humanitarian assistance and gradual lifting of the embargo.

Meanwhile, the Council of Arab Economic Unity stressed yesterday the importance of lifting the economic sanctions from Iraq and work to maintain Iraq's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as of refusing to interfere in its internal affairs.

This came after an urgent meeting for the council yesterday on the level of the permanent delegates, where they discussed last week's US - British attacks.

Previous Stories:
  Algeria, EU to send humanitarian aid to Iraq   (12/22/1998)
  Iraq to maintain new diplomatic activities   (12/22/1998)
  UN chief approves Iraqi food plan   (12/12/1998)

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