Dubai:The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has revealed that its Dubai Volunteering Program logged a 99.9 per cent increase in volunteer hours during the first half of this year compared to 2019. Similarly, the program’s active volunteers surged by 53.6 per cent during the same period in contrast to 2019 amid increased assistance for the most vulnerable segments of society affected by the pandemic-related quarantine orders and mobility restrictions.  

H.E. Ahmad Julfar, Director General of the CDA, said that more and more individuals, especially from the youth sector, have been volunteering to help the most affected people, including the elderly, in their communities during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. The volunteers have been spending much of their time in activities that promote social cohesion and solidarity under the present circumstances. According to H.E., a total of 29,661 volunteers of all ages and nationalities were active volunteers during the first six months of the year, 2,201 of whom were new volunteers. Additionally, 35 new organizations joined the program during the same period.

H.E. added: “We recorded 245,232 volunteer hours during the first half of 2020, up 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. More than ever, the importance of volunteering and selfless community service has been brought to the fore during this trying time.”

CDA’s volunteer activities increased by 27.7 per cent to reach 844 during the first six months of 2020 compared with 661 in 2019. These initiatives were organized by different entities such as Dubai Police, Dubai Health Authority, the ​ Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, and many more. 

Among the initiatives, ‘Secure together’ which attracted the highest number of volunteers at 1,425 people. The volunteers under the initiative would protect, care and secure the requests of citizens and residents who were home quarantined.  

Those who are interested to join the Dubai Volunteer Program can do so by visiting its app and the CDA’s website. Both online portals contain a list of volunteering activities and the steps on how to participate. The Authority will provide virtual introductory workshops on volunteering and training on tasks and other requirements via the Microsoft Teams. These are done in cooperation with government and private entities as well as relevant educational institutions. The workshops and training programs aim to highlight among community members that volunteering is one of the most noble activities to do, especially during crises.

Individuals planning to volunteer can visit CDA’s website at https://www.cda.gov.ae/ar/pages/default.aspx