Donations from UAE children to Iraqi school children

The United Arab Emirates UAE' s ministry of culture and education has decided to collect US $5.50 from each student in the country's schools to be used to purchase books and pens for Iraqi students.

A ministry official said the money-raising campaign which will start February 7 aims at collecting US $137,000 under the title "From the children of the UAE to children of Iraq", thereby making the UAE children feel the suffering of the Iraqis who have been exposed to international economic sanctions.

The official noted that there are more 250,000 Iraqi children under 12, who are not able to go school, either because they cannot afford to purchase books and pens or because they are obliged to work to support their families.

The UAE is regularly sending humanitarian aid to Iraq -- mainly food-stuffs and medicines.