Every support counts

Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra archipelago and is the territory near major shipping routes and is officially part of Yemen. The Yemeni crisis began with the 2011–12 revolution against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had led Yemen for more than three decades (33 years).

The people of Yemen need humanitarian aid desperately to lift them out of their dire conditions and this is where the UAE has rushed in to help — tremendously (“$110m UAE assistance boosts Socotra’s economic growth,” Gulf Today, August 1).

The UAE’s aid helped restore Socotra’s airport, enabling it to serve the process of development and facilitating transport to and from the island.

The assistance given by the UAE over six years amounted to $110 million. The aid has helped dramatically improve living conditions of the people of Socotra.

According to Wikipedia in 2004, it became attached to the Hadhramaut Governorate, which is much closer to the island than Aden (although the nearest governorate was the Al Mahrah Governorate). In 2013, the archipelago became its own governorate: Socotra Governorate.

The UAE’s aid helped restore Socotra’s airport, enabling it to serve the process of development and facilitating transport to and from the island.

The UAE has supported Socotra in almost every sector just like education, humanitarian relief, health sector, social affairs, productive families, energy sector and infrastructure.

Not only within the island but also the UAE offered university scholarships to 80 local students to study in Egypt, and 40 to UAE University. It also launched various educational projects, including the restoration of local schools and building new classes, and inauguration of the Socotra Institute for Consultancy and Training. The UAE also established the Socotra University and opened two colleges.

In addition, the UAE supported the island’s public transport and maritime transport sector by donating four school transport buses and hiring 15 buses to transport students in the desert.

Tariq Ashraf
By email