The UAE has provided vouchers to 35,600 families in need in northern Lebanon. A delegation from the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, working closely with the UAE embassy in Beirut, began the campaign last week in Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon. The initiative will cover other northern cities, distributing vouchers to 178,000 beneficiaries whose names have been provided by the Lebanon-based Dar-Al-Fatwa Relief Organisation. This gesture comes as part of the UAE's efforts to support friendly countries. An official from the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation said the initiative was launched to help the Lebanese people overcome their dire economic conditions, reported state news agency WAM. Vouchers were provided so that the recipients could choose their preferred food supplies. Fahad Al Kaabi, acting chief of mission at the UAE embassy in Lebanon, said that the aid is part of the country's humanitarian role and the foundation's efforts to stand with friends around the world. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/lebanon-fuel-shortages-spark-fights-and-long-queues-at-the-pump-1.1239480">Just a few days ago</a>, the Lebanon's fuel crisis worsened. With the government unable to release dollars to fund imports of oil and fuel, petrol is now in short supply. Motorists in Beirut told <em>The National</em> of waiting in queues at petrol stations for more than three hours, with no guarantee of the pumps still being open at the end of it. Those who did make it to a working pump faced a 10-litre limit on supplies. To compound matters, Friday also saw the start of a pharmacists' strike across Lebanon, as the sector battles shortages. Nine in 10 pharmacies closed in protest over the country's ongoing economic crisis.