Dubai residents double volunteering hours during Covid-19 crisis

UAE - More residents in Dubai, especially the youth, have been stepping up to help others amid the Covid-19 crisis, based on the latest statistics of the emirate's Community Development Authority (CDA). In the first half of the year, volunteering hours have doubled compared to the same period last year, and the number of active volunteers jumped by 53.6 per cent.

Ahmad Julfar, director-general of the CDA, said some 29,661 volunteers of all ages and nationalities had been active in the first six months of the year, and about 2,200 of them are new. Thirty-five new organisations also joined the Dubai Volunteering Programme.

"We recorded 245,232 volunteer hours during the first half of 2020, up by 99.9 per cent from last year's 122,685 hours. The significant growth was observed when CDA, as well as many government and private sector entities, had ramped up their initiatives to provide assistance to those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic," Julfar said.

"More than ever, the importance of volunteering and selfless community service has been brought to the fore during this trying time."

Many of the volunteers were from the youth sector, Julfar said. There had been 844 volunteer activities from January to June, marking a 27.7 per cent increase from the 661 activities within the same period last year.

These initiatives were organised by different entities, including the Dubai Police, Dubai Health Authority, the ? Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, and more.

Among these activities, 'Secure together' attracted the highest number of volunteers, with 1,425 signing up. Under this initiative, participants took care of citizens and residents who were home-quarantined.

Those who are interested to join the Dubai Volunteer Programme may register through its smart app or the CDA's website. Both online portals display a list of volunteering activities and steps on how to participate.