• UAE-based multinational company donates AED 500,000 to support humanitarian relief efforts
• 25,000 Rohingya refugees to gain access to clean water and sanitary facilities

Crescent Enterprises has joined hands with The Big Heart Foundation, a Sharjah-based global humanitarian organisation dedicated to helping people in need worldwide, to support the Water & Sanitation for Health (WASH) project supervised by The Big Heart Foundation in the Cox’s Bazar district in southern Bangladesh.

Crescent Enterprises has donated AED 500,000 towards the project purse of one million Dirhams. The project, which is currently being implemented in partnership with BRAC – an international development organisation based in Bangladesh, includes the digging of 13 wells to provide 25,000 Rohingya refugees with adequate access to clean water. Each well will have the capacity to provide clean water for 500 people daily. The project will also provide latrines and health facilities, as well as daily cleaning and maintenance services.

The partnership follows a visit organised by The Big Heart Foundation to Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh, where Crescent Enterprises CEO Badr Jafar witnessed their hazardous living conditions and the group pledged to help raise their standards of living.

Commenting on the initiative, Badr Jafar, Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Enterprises, said:

“We are committed to empowering vulnerable communities in collaboration with strategic partners, and are very proud of the work The Big Heart Foundation is doing to assist Rohingya families in Bangladesh. The Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of today, and requires the concerted action of responsible global players.”

Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation, said:

“Crescent Enterprises’ support reflects their organisational culture of humanitarianism and their strong commitment to sustainable development initiatives. Their valuable contribution will go a long way in helping us alleviate the sufferings of Rohingya refugees, and gives a much-needed fillip to our ongoing humanitarian efforts in Bangladesh since 2017. We seek to ensure that these people, particularly women and children, have continued access to basic resources and facilities such as education and healthcare. These are fundamental human rights and must be enjoyed by everyone without exception.”

Al Hammadi sees the Crescent Enterprises’ partnership as an example to highlight the need for united action – locally and globally – to ensure liveable conditions for forcibly displaced and disadvantaged communities. She also stressed that public health projects to provide clean water and sanitation are especially important.

Since 2017, over 745,000 Rohingya people have fled Myanmar and sought refuge in southern Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar is now home to the world’s largest refugee camp, with about one million refugees living in challenging circumstances, and depending on aid for their food, water and sanitation, shelter, and medical needs.

Since inception, Crescent Enterprises has actively supported numerous social and environmental projects and campaigns by engaging in community initiatives ranging from social entrepreneurship, education, and the environment, to arts and culture and corporate governance. The company’s support for The Big Heart Foundation and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is aligned with the UAE’s national efforts in philanthropy. Recently, and for the fifth year in a row, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) named the UAE as the world’s largest donor of Official Development Aid in relation to national income.