UAE Foreign Aid Policy: Strengthening the Global Humanitarian System

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. To realize its foreign assistance policy, the UAE has contributed to responding to several humanitarian crises, whether through the cooperation with international organizations or through direct assistance. More than 40 UAE government entities, humanitarian and charitable organizations and private companies have provided assistance and response to many crises and disasters, the UAEministry of foreign affairs and international cooperationsaid in a statement.

The humanitarian crises have recently witnessed an unprecedented increase. Each year, the world faces about 20 major emergency crises, as well as hundreds of minor crises and disasters, many of which suffer from poor funding or inadequate response efforts. In particular, our region has faced a large number of these crises: in recent years, the region has accounted for more than half of the world's refugees and displaced persons. In addition, the region has experienced recyclic natural disasters at an abnormal rate.

The UAE will continue intensifying its humanitarian relief efforts in the years to come to support people in need around the world. The UAE has committed to allocating 15% of its total foreign aid to the humanitarian response, making it one of the most generous donors in the humanitarian aid arena.

The Novel Coronavirus Crisis

This crisis is a good example of the UAE's pioneering role and efforts in strengthening the global humanitarian system and mobilizing efforts for a global response to the COVID-19 crisis to protect and save lives through our strategy of providing medical supplies including for personal protection, logistical support and supporting multilateral organizations to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the health sector in the beneficiary countries. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Chief Commander of the Armed Forces, stressed the importance of promoting a consistent and effective international response in dealing with the corona virus and addressing its negative repercussions. HH stressed that the UAE’s stand is supportive to international action, global solidarity and coordination of efforts with the rest of the world. We welcome the action taken by the key actors in the international humanitarian and development community, particularly the World Health Organization and the United Nations in general. We welcome the innovative uses of multi-donor mechanisms to address this unprecedented crisis and more investments are needed to support the existing tools that can offer a fast and flexible response. However, this response will require more than just funding. There is a need for sustainable actions by multiple actors to addressing the public health crisis and provide the necessary investments to boost and restart collapsing economies. There is also a need for new policy approaches to help fixing the current damage and ensure that we are better prepared for similar shocks in the future.