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Campaigns help bring down number of beggars in Al Ain

AL AIN — The number of beggars in Al Ain city and its surrounding areas has gone down as a result of awareness campaigns organised by the Al Ain Police, a source in the police department said.

People who indulge in begging risk one month’s jail followed by deportation, said the source.

The source pointed out that charity associations such as the Al Ain Red Crescent Society offer financial aid to under-privileged individuals and families to keep them away from seeking alms by narrating fake stories.

He appealed to the needy individuals and families to approach the Red Crescent for assistance.

It is alleged that many beggars take advantage of the Ramadan period to gain the sympathy of people in order to collect easy money.

Asia Saad, a housewife from Al Ain said that on the first day of Ramadan there was a knock on her door. When she opened the door, she found a young woman whose right arm was bandaged. The woman asked for assistance and the housewife gave her some money.

“I thought that the beggar was injured, but a few days later the same woman knocked at our neighbour’s door asking for money. This time her left arm was bandaged. She was probably cheating everybody,” Saad felt.