By IANS
Male : The United Arab Emirate Red Crescent Authority (RCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Wednesday for building a social centre for fishermen in the island of Male in the Maldives, WAM news agency reported.
This is part of several humanitarian and development projects to assist those affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The RCA said it has earmarked Dh 736,000 for construction of the social development centre. The MoU, signed by RCA Director of Projects and Development Abdullah Al Mohammed, and Melaia Vatucawaqa, deputy resident representative of UNDP in the Maldives, says the UNDP will oversee the implementation of the centre that will be opened after six months.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Vatucagawa highlighted the importance of such projects, as many islands in the Maldives were poorly equipped in terms of social services desperately needed by fishermen.
She added that the two-storey and flood-proof facility will serve more than 2,000 fishermen and their families, and will also act as an emergency centre for crisis management, providing shelter, health services, relief and psychological support.
RCA representative Mohammed said that the project was chosen after a thorough study. "The RCA highly values its partnership with the UNDP and the joint cooperation in the Maldives is complementing previous experiences in a number of international disaster-affected regions," he added.