70m benefited from UAE’s charitable work in 2018

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the annual report of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) for the year 2018.

The Global Initiative benefited around 70 million people in 86 countries.

Sheikh Mohammed took to Twitter and said, “We launched today the annual report of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in the charitable, humanitarian, and philanthropy field... Total expenditure in 2018 was Dhs1.5 billion benefiting 70 million people in 86 countries around the world.” Sheikh Mohammed said, “Proud of 660 employees and over 100,000 volunteers who helped us change the lives of millions of people for the better in 2018 in countries around the world.

“We seek to create a new hope in our Arab world, improve people’s lives, deliver a message and establish a new culture of human work in our societies…” Sheikh Mohammed said, “I thank my team for the humanitarian work. I am proud of them and what they have done in the service of humanity and proud of the spirit of competition for good work among humanitarian institutions under the umbrella of initiatives...” During the event, a young girl hugged Sheikh Mohammed, thanking him for everything in her life. The touching photograph has been shared all over the social media channels.

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.