The UAE has provided more than Dh370 billion in international aid, reaching over one billion people worldwide. Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, detailed the extensive relief efforts during the Emirates International Press Conference, held on the sidelines of the seventh edition of the UAE Government Annual Meetings in Abu Dhabi.

The meetings, held from November 4 to 6, are chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and bring together over 500 key officials and leaders from various UAE government entities to build on the nation's recent achievements.

“This approach is rooted in the legacy of the founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed that goodness is not what we own, but what we give,” Al Hashimi stated.

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She emphasised that this vision is carried forward by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leading to the establishment of the International Humanitarian Affairs Council.

In her address, Al Hashimi provided a detailed breakdown of the UAE's humanitarian footprint in some of the world's most challenging crises.

For Gaza, under the 'Al-Faris Al-Shahim 3' operation, the UAE has provided over Dh9.4 billion in aid. This includes more than 100,000 tonnes of supplies and the medical evacuation of nearly 3,000 patients and their companions for treatment in the UAE.

“These are real stories of children, the elderly, and women whose lives were saved because of these efforts,” she said.

In Yemen, the UAE has contributed Dh26 billion to support stability, reconstruction, and the improvement of essential services.

For Ukraine, beyond the Dh385 million in aid and over 1,000 tonnes of supplies, the UAE played a crucial mediation role, facilitating the exchange of more than 4,600 prisoners of war since the conflict began.“Here, the voice of humanity rises and is heard even amidst the din of conflict,” Al Hashimi remarked.

Other significant contributions include:

• Sudan: Over Dh1.5 billion in aid and the evacuation of 12,000 individuals from 100 nationalities.

• Afghanistan: Dh7.3 billion in support, where the UAE also tragically lost martyrs in the line of humanitarian duty in 2017.

• Pakistan: Over 700 million polio vaccine doses to protect an entire generation.

Al Hashimi also highlighted the UAE's critical role during the Covid-19 pandemic.“At that critical moment, the UAE did not hesitate. It opened its air corridors, its warehouses, and its heart,” she said.

The country became a global logistics hub for international organizations, including the World Health Organization, to deliver medical supplies to nations in need.

This global effort is institutionalized through a robust framework, with over 40 donor and charitable organizations operating from the UAE, and Dubai hosting more than 80 international humanitarian organizations in what has become the world's largest humanitarian hub.

“We may not be able to change the world alone, but we are able to give it a new opportunity,” Al Hashimi concluded.“The UAE will remain, as you have always known it, a body for humanity, a voice for solidarity, and a beacon that guides the world towards hope.”

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