Yemen has 1.5 million handicapped [Archives:2007/1019/Local News]

SANA'A, Jan 24 – (NewsYemen) Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi said that handicapped in Yemen reached an abnormal number estimating them as 1.5 million.

Hadi said in the first conference for Handicapped Societies Union launched in Sana'a on Sunday that people should know such facts.

He called Handicapped Societies Union to study the handicapped laws and raise suggested amendments to the Ministry of Legal Affairs to amend such laws, especially those contradicting with international laws and agreements that Yemen ratified.

He ordered the local councils in all governorates to set up offices for the union.

“Through this fund we can comprehend needs and hire offices until we have new offices and without it we cannot improve the situation of handicapped,” said Hadi, praising the Fund of Handicapped Care.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Amat al-Razaq Humad, said the Handicapped Societies Union was a turning point in the activity of handicapped societies calling upon bodies concerned to support it.

“The union could have, in the past period, positive impacts at the internal and external levels,” said Humad, adding that establishing the Fund of Handicapped Care was the most important achievement by the union.

Humad asked the government to give handicapped persons 5 percent of public jobs.

She urged the participants in the conference to review the positives and negatives and give women seats in the executive board through transparent and candid elections. She also called for revising all legislations and laws that challenge international developments.
——
[archive-e:1019-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-01-25-p:ln]