Online help group forced to cut food assistance to families
A Facebook group set up last year to help families struggling during the pandemic has had to limit the amount of food assistance it can offer.
Heather Harries, the founder of Stop and Help in Dubai, said the group is unable to keep up with demand.
Ms Harries said the group would continue to support those seeking help to find work.
Over the past 11 months, Stop and Help has provided assistance to more than 100,000 people and put the equivalent of 2.5 million meals on tables.
Supplies of rice, bread, noodles and baby food are regularly delivered to homes across the city by volunteers.
“We have taken the very sad decision that we simply cannot keep up with the demand that we have,” Ms Harries said.
“We are not stopping, we are streamlining. We have supported over 100,000 people and the number does not go down.
“We will take harder decisions to try and make people more independent. You have no idea how tough that call is.”
Ms Harries said the decision to end support for many families was not an easy one, but said she could not promise things because there were fewer donors.
The Briton urged those who were in need of longterm support to contact their embassies for help.
She said a small group of volunteers would continue to support families in emergency situations.
“We are still here to help connect you with jobs, help to rewrite your CVs, help with interview skills and, of course, support in any other way we can,” she said.
“But for food, we simply cannot do any more than absolute emergency situations, and even these will be capped at four weeks.”
Since the start of the year, the number of donors on hand to provide food to families has dwindled, forcing Ms Harries to limit food provisions.