Coronavirus – Ethiopia: UAE Embassy distributes meat as Qurbani to vulnerable refugee families

The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Ethiopia today donated Qurbani meat to vulnerable refugee families in Addis Ababa. The meat will be distributed to 480 beneficiaries selected from the Somali, Syrian and Yemeni refugee communities who are celebrating the Eid al-Adha festivall today.

In May and June this year, the Embassy extended support to over 200 vulnerable refugees mainly from Eritrea, distributing food items, including flour, rice, oil, sugar and dates.

Mr. Ali Algafli, Head of Culture and Public Diplomacy of UAE Embassy handed over the donation to representatives of the beneficiaries at a ceremony organized at the JRS Refugee Community Centre in Addis Ababa.

He was joined by officials from the Embassy of Yemen, UNHCR, ARRA and JRS, who expressed appreciation to the Embassy’s generous support as a fulfillment of the Islamic ritual of Qurbani.

Mathijs Le Rutte, UNHCR’s Deputy Representative (Protection), expressed gratitude to the UAE Embassy for its continued support to the vulnerable urban refugees whom, he said, have been severely impacted by the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most of the over 27,000 urban refugees heavily rely for their sustenance either on remittances from families and relatives abroad or on income generated by working in the informal sector”, he said, adding that they are now amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic as remittances dry up and that the informal sector is increasingly restricted.

Over 766,000 refugees, who fled conflict and persecution in their countries, are sheltered in Ethiopia, more than 27,000 of them living in the capital Addis Ababa as urban refugees.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).