By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will set up a fund to compensate child camel jockeys from Bangladesh, Mauritania, Pakistan and Sudan, local newspaper Gulf News reported Thursday.
An independent claims facility will be set up to compensate children from the four countries who were formerly involved in camel racing in the UAE, the report quoted an official as saying.
The compensation fund will guarantee a savings account of the child jockey's earnings, which would be transferred to him at the age of 18.
It will also provide compensation for any anguish, pain, emotional distress or physical injuries that the child jockeys may have suffered.
In 2005, the UAE banned camel jockeys less than 18 years old from participating in camel races and signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to repatriate child jockeys.
It is reported that about 1,100 child camel jockeys have been repatriated to their homes so far.
In April 2007, the UAE extended the agreement with UNICEF for two years to continue repatriation of child jockeys.