Meals campaign response highlights UAE generosity

Compassion, kindness and feelings of brotherhood are the hallmark of the UAE.

It is heartening that overwhelming donations secured 14 million meals for families and individuals affected by the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic in the UAE as the ‘10 million meals’ campaign finished its second week.

Such benevolence makes each and every citizen and resident proud.

Her Highness Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of UAE Food Bank, has rightly reaffirmed that the outstanding response from individuals and entities to support the ’10 million meals’ campaign throughout Ramadan is a true manifestation of the UAE’s social solidarity and cohesion.

Her words resonate with the confidence of the entire nation: “We are confident that the UAE will continue overcoming every challenge and difficulty it faces, like it did since its foundation, with the support of its cohesive and diverse society of citizens and residents.

“The ‘10 million meals’ campaign truly marks another milestone in Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s inspiring and continuous journey of giving.

“The UAE will certainly emerge stronger, thanks to the devotion and loyalty of its citizens and residents who extend their support to our leaders to ensure public safety and wellbeing.”

The society has risen to the occasion wholeheartedly. Since Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s announcement of the campaign earlier in April, companies, humanitarian organisations, businessmen, government and private entities and the general public have rushed to make financial or in-kind donations towards providing meals or food parcels to support low-income individuals and families.

Under the supervision of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, MBRGI, and the Social Solidarity Fund Against COVID-19, meals and food parcels were delivered in a logistical distribution network developed in collaboration with partnering entities to reach beneficiaries across the country.

Donations of entrepreneurs and prominent businessmen collectively secured 710,000 meals, while companies pledged a total of 4.6 million meals, bringing the total corporate donations to 5.4 million meals.

Humanitarian and charity organisations’ donations will provide 5.6 million meals.

Use of technology has proved handy.

Online donations secured 1.5 million meals, while SMS donations helped provide 645,662 meals in the campaign’s first two weeks. In-kind donations received through the campaign’s call centre totalled 901,000 meals to date.

Incidentally, within four days of the World’s Tallest Donation Box launch, Burj Khalifa shone bright with 393,000 lights as donations continue pouring in to support coronavirus-hit communities in the UAE.

What makes the campaign amazing is also that individuals from 100 nationalities contributed to the World’s Tallest Donation Box that provides a meal for every light purchased for as little as Dhs10. Donations illuminated 46 floors of Burj Khalifa, with the goal to shine the 1.2 million lights on the façade of the world’s tallest building in a message of solidarity and hope to communities hard hit by the pandemic across the world.

The feeling of goodwill is overwhelming.

Donors from different parts of the world are also posting positive messages of hope as they make their contributions on the initiative’s website www.tallestdonationbox.com.

Unity, harmony and coexistence are the best solution to overcome these exceptional times and the UAE has set a perfect example on this for the rest of the world.