ABU DHABI — Businessman Yusuff Ali M.A, chairman of Lulu Group, donated 1 million dirhams to provide one million meals to the region’s largest food drive that aims to provide food parcels to disadvantaged families and individuals across 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa throughout the month of Ramadan.

The "100 Million Meals" campaign is open to individuals and companies — inside and outside the United Arab Emirates — to donate the value of meals. Every 1 dirham provides the basic food items that can prepare one meal in beneficiary countries.

Yusuff Ali said: "The ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign is one of the most distinguished humanitarian initiatives, as it coincides with the holy month of Ramadan and aims to lend a helping hand to families and groups most affected by the pandemic. As a socially committed organization, we have always believed in giving back to the community, and we pledge all our support for this noble deed."

Last year, LuLu Group donated 1 million dirhams to the "10 Million Meals" campaign, which provided thousands of meals for individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE.

Yusuff Ali had also donated 3 million dirhams to support the construction of the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre, named the Humanitarian Cause of the Year at Arab Hope Makers 2020, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).

Organized by MBRGI and implemented by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Establishment (MBRCH), the "100 Million Meals" campaign runs in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme, the Food Banking Regional Network, and charitable and humanitarian organizations in beneficiary countries to ensure food parcels are delivered at the doorsteps of underserved families and individuals in countries including Egypt, Jordan, Angola, Uganda, Pakistan, Syria, and Sudan. — WAM