The International Board on Book for Young People Foundation and the United Arab Emirates Board on Books for Young People have launched a fund that will see 1 million Swiss Francs earmarked for children’s literacy projects in the UAE.

The main objective of the Sharjah IBBY Fund is to support “children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder or natural disasters in the region of Central Asia and North Africa through implementing reading-related projects.” The government of Sharjah, the third largest emirate of the UAE, has endowed the fund with 1 million Swiss Francs for the next 10 years.

IBBY and its UAE branch announced the fund at the end of April during the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival 2012.