MBRGI humane programmes reach over 11m

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives’ (MBRGI) Humanitarian Aid & Relief programmes reached over 11.9 million people across the world in 2018, with Dhs271 million worth of projects and initiatives.

The Humanitarian Aid & Relief is one of the five pillars classified under the umbrella of MBRGI, besides Spreading Education & Knowledge, Healthcare & Disease Control, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Empowering Communities.

As part of the humanitarian projects under MBRGI, the UAE Water Aid (Suqia)’s 216 water projects, including wells, water purification plants and water networks, benefited 8.2 million people in 2018. The International Humanitarian City (IHC) recorded 2,000 tonnes of aid dispatched to countries, reaching 619,000 beneficiaries across the world in 2018.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment’s programmes benefited three million people, while the UAE Food Bank distributed 74,000 meals to low-income families and workers in 2018.

Saeed Mohammad Al Eter, Assistant Secretary-General of MBRGI, said the Foundation’s work has been centred on humanitarian aid, with focus on both developmental and relief projects, that serve as the basis for building cohesive societies, preserving human dignity and upholding the values of collaboration, harmony and social responsibility.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia, said the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) continues its efforts to provide safe drinking water to communities suffering from water scarcity and pollution, in collaboration with leading local and international organisations.

The International Humanitarian City (IHC) has emerged as a vital humanitarian aid and relief hub that facilitates first responses to disasters and crises at a global level.

In 2018, IHC has continued setting up airbridges to deliver medical supplies, food and relief items to crisis-torn countries. It carried out 20 shipments, delivering more than 2,000 tonnes of aid and relief matierial to 10 countries in 2018.

It helped member organisations dispatch an additional 1,200 aid shipments, carrying more than Dhs257 million worth of aid to 89 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

IHC continued supporting Rohingya Muslims in refugee camps in Bangladesh, operating relief flights that benefited more than 344,000 people in Dhaka and Chittagong. Two aid shipments were also sent to Ethiopia in November 2018 to help around 45,000 people, while humanitarian efforts in Papua New Guinea provided emergency aid to 60,690 earthquake victims.

 The Establishment has organised a number of Ramadan initiatives in 2018, including Iftars held for 96,000 people across 53 Arab, African and Asian countries, and in Brazil, the United States and Canada.

The ‘Eid Gift’ project provided new clothing to 44,000 families in 14 Arab, African and Asian countries. The Establishment’s meat distribution campaign during Eid Al Adha celebrations benefited 62,000 underprivileged families in 31 countries in 2018.

One of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Establishment’s international initiatives involves distributing school bags packed with uniforms, books and other supplies to thousands of students at the beginning of each academic year. The project was implemented in 13 countries in 2018, with 3,000 school bags distributed in Kazakhstan and 45,000 in the Philippines, benefiting more than 100,000 students around the world.

The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) is dedicated to providing clean drinking water to remote areas across the world in efforts to tackle global water scarcity.

In line with the 2018 Year of Zayed, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s birth, Suqia launched the ‘100 Water Projects’ initiative, which helped provide safe drinking water to 125,000 people in 12 countries in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Establishment and Emirates Red Crescent.

The ‘Your Suhoor is Our Responsibility’ programme, executed in cooperation with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), distributed 49,700 Iftar meals and 23,500 Suhoor meals.

MBRGI is currently organising a humanitarian art exhibition in Dubai Mall, from May 19-31, showcasing its inspiring 2018 achievements through the five pillars of work: Spreading Education & Knowledge, Healthcare & Disease Control, Empowering Communities, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Aid & Relief.

A Day of Hope: For Domiana, a 32-year-old wife and mother living in Upper Egypt, every day is the same. She starts her morning routine by going out to collect fresh water for her two children before they go to school. She then goes out several times throughout the day to collect water for her family’s crops and livestock.

Domiana’s family is one of 50 in the El Hajer village in Luxor Governorate with no direct access to clean drinking water, forcing villagers to spend several hours a day finding and collecting water to satisfy their basic needs.

In cooperation with other charity organisations, Suqia installed a water distribution network in the village, facilitating a direct flow of water to Domiana’s house. The network enabled villagers to spend more time seeking work or education, in efforts to combat poverty and unemployment in remote villages. For Domiana, the project has made a huge difference in her family’s life. She now looks forward to waking up every morning with a renewed sense of hope.