UAE Interior Ministry officials conclude 3-Day visit of UNICEF Programme

A high level UAE delegation, comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Interiors, recently visited Mauritania to oversee a UAE-backed UNICEF programme that is working towards integrating the former camel jockeys into mainstream society.

The financial compensation comes as part of a multi-million dollar program launched by the UAE government, after imposing a ban in 2005 on employing children as camel jockeys.

Following through with its commitment, the UAE is ensuring the early settlement of compensation claims to help rehabilitate the former child jockeys and their families.

In April last year, the UAE handed over a similar compensation for 66 children, and is currently examining the remaining 448 claims that have been presented so far.

Brig. Nasser Al Menhali presented the cheque in the presence of H.E. Abdullah Muhammad Altikkawi, Charge d'Affairs of the UAE Embassy in Mauritania, and H.E. Mohammad Al Amin Ould Moulay Al Zein, the wali of Nouakchott.

Her Excellency Fatima Bint Khatri said: "The UNICEF programme, which seeks to reintegrate and compensate the former camel jockey children who worked in the UAE between 1992 and 2005, is the fruit of the common will of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the UAE.

We are extremely grateful to the UAE for its painstaking efforts to ensure the former jockeys are satisfactorily compensated according to our mutual agreement.

The UAE has also shown an exceptional keenness to closely follow up on the Mauritanian government's policy to provide basic social services and education for combating poverty, which we consider is the root cause of child trafficking."

Brig, Nasser Al-Minhali said: "We are earnestly working towards extending further compensations to ensure the restoration of the young children's human rights.

The UAE also looks forward to furthering this synergy with the Mauritanian government, and is firmly committed to continue supporting the UNICEF programme for the protection of the minors in Mauritania."

During the three day visit, the UAE delegation visited the town of Habibelesh, 140km from Nouakchott and home to a majority of the former jockeys.

The officials were briefed on the UNICEF-run programmes in village schools, and interacted with the children benefiting from the facility, including some of the former camel jockeys.

Welcoming the delegation on behalf of Habibelesh, Almukhtar Ould Mahmouda, praised the support extended by the UAE government to the residents of the village, specifically through creating job opportunities.

The UAE delegation's visit concluded with Brig. Nasser Al-Minhali thanking the Mauritania government for its hospitality. He said: "We look forward to seeing more tangible progress during our next visit. We will also work to strengthen our ties with the people of Mauritania."

Ghassan Khalil, Head of Child Protection Program at the UNICEF office in the Gulf countries, lauded the collaboration between UNICEF and the UAE with Mauritania, and acknowledged the efficient planning and implementation of the programmes.