The UAE has sent more than 50,000 tonnes of food to be distributed to families of cancer patients in Yemen. As part of the humanitarian campaign, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) delivered 1,220 food parcels on Wednesday. The parcels contain what is known as Ramadan ration – a bag of essential food items to last a family throughout the holy month. “The food parcels were distributed not just to the families of cancer patients but also to workers in cancer treatment centres in 13 districts of Hadramaut, Yemen, coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan,” reported the UAE news agency, Wam. “The distribution of the parcels aims to support needy families,” said Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi, ERC representative in Hadramaut. “The ERC is working to reduce the burdens on the Yemeni people in the country’s liberated areas.” Since the beginning of the year, 13,030 food parcels weighing more than 839 tonnes were distributed to 65,150 people in Hadramaut. The UAE has also sent 475 tonnes of dates to 30 countries since the beginning of Ramadan. The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation said it shipped 475 tonnes of dates through air and sea. “The foundation aims to distribute dates during Ramadan, so the healthy fruit can help meet the nutritional needs of people in need,” said Mohammed Haji Al Khouri, director-general of the foundation. The 30 countries included five Arab nations, with Bahrain receiving 40 tonnes of dates, Egypt receiving 20 tonnes, Morocco 20 tonnes, Syria 30 tonnes and Lebanon 30 tonnes. The United States also received 20 tonnes of dates, as well as several European countries.