Sharjah 24 – WAM: The UAE will celebrate, the World Humanitarian Day, which falls on 19th August, having accomplished major achievements that have made it a regional and international leader of humanitarian action.
For the second consecutive year, World Humanitarian Day arrives amidst extraordinary circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which the UAE has played a key role in supporting global efforts to contain.
In July 2021, the UAE's foreign aid accounted for 80 percent of the overall global support for countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the total medical aid provided by the country amounting to 2,154 metric tonnes distributed across 135 countries.
The UAE has also dispatched 196 medical flights and established six field hospitals in Sudan, Guinea, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as a mobile clinic in Turkmenistan while sending aid to over 117 countries and donating in-kind aid worth US$10 million.
The UAE’s organised humanitarian action is being carried out by dozens of official and non-official entities that have considerable global influence, most notably the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), whose annual operations cover over 100 countries.
The ERC’s programmes over the past five years are valued at around AED3.8 billion, including AED1.67 billion for relief operations, AED1.03 billion for development projects, AED800 million for orphan support programmes, and AED316 million for humanitarian aid programmes.
In 2020, the Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum Global Initiatives provided humanitarian and relief aid worth AED382 million, benefitting 34.8 million people.
Since its formation in 1971 by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE has succeeded in significantly boosting the humanitarian action drive, which is highlighted by its leading position among the world's top foreign aid donors.
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