The GCC closing its doors to refugees has long been the subject of harsh criticism. And Gulf leaders have shot back at the remarks by pointing to the millions they've pumped into humanitarian organizations helping refugees. The Saudi Press Agency says that number is as high as $700 million from the kingdom alone.
The Emirates Red Crescent has just set up two Syrian refugee camps in Greece. The first, located in Athens, is ready to welcome Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war, according to The National .
A second camp in the city of Larissa will welcome some 2,000 refugees in late October. Both camps will provide refugees with shelter, healthcare and general services.
The initiative targets Syrian refugees where they are located. “[It] supports Greece’s efforts to create better living conditions for tens of thousands of refugees trapped in Greece and are suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis," secretary general of the Emirates Red Crescent, Mohammed Al Falahi, previously told Gulf News .
The Greek army managed the logistics of setting up the camps, which will be run by the Greek Red Cross under the guidance of the ERC.
UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the camps' establishment. Al Falahi said the Greek government had officially requested the organization's help.
The humanitarian organization is run and funded by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in the western region of Abu Dhabi. It works with the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the International Red Crescent.
During the first six months of this year, the ERC spent some $77 million on relief projects, of which almost $56 million were spent abroad – in countries including Yemen, Philippines and Sudan.