44 years of UAE charity benefit 178 countries

Abu Dhabi - UAE spent Dh173 billion in aid worldwide between 1971 and 2014.

Since its inception in 1971, the UAE has spent Dh173 billion in aid to 178 countries, according to a special report released on the occasion of 44th National Day.
The Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (Micad) said that the country's governmental, non-governmental organisations and charity institutions, between 1971 and 2014, has spend the amount worldwide, as part of their charity initiatives, on the instructions of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE; the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The report says around Dh129 billion (74 per cent) of the foreign aid came directly from government institutions, Dh30.5 billion from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, Dh5.7 billion from Emirates Red Crescent and Dh2.9 billion from Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.
The report noted that the UAE ranked as the world's most generous donor in 2013 and 2014 and became an international role model of relief and assistance of millions of people affected by natural and man-made disasters and crises.
The largest recipient of the UAE's foreign aid, by continent, was Asia, with more than Dh79.4 billion, followed by Africa with Dh75.4 billion used in development projects such as the construction of housing complexes, roads, and bridges, as well as power generation and others.
The Micad report shows that the largest part of the aid has gone towards the government and civil society sector spending Dh80.6 billion, followed by the public programmes support sector with Dh22.5 billion.
Humanitarian and relief aid in emergency situations accounted for about Dh8.5 billion.

The UAE donors supported children with about Dh2 billion in the past 44 years with a focus on development projects in sectors like infrastructure, health, education, as well as relief programmes.
The UAE is the largest donor to Yemen as it continues to play a pivotal role in responding to humanitarian crises in Yemen and promoting development, the report notes, citing data from the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS).
The UAE aid to Yemen from 1971 to 2015 has amounted to Dh6.65 billion, the report said.
The UAE foreign aid to Yemen last year touched Dh1.3 billion (until October) including Dh844.2 million in direct humanitarian aid and Dh494.7 million for planned infrastructure rehabilitation projects.
The UAE's humanitarian aid to Yemen was conducted in four stages to promote rehabilitation and infrastructure development in the governorates of Aden, Aden, Lahj, Al Dhali, Abyan, Marib, Shabwa, Hadramout, Al Mahr, and Socotra Island, with a focus on electricity, food, health, water, sanitation, fuel, and transport.
The Micad report also noted that the UAE was at the forefront of countries which came to the aid of Syrians since 2012.
To date, and as part of its response to the crisis in Syria, the UAE provided Dh2.14 billion to help 1.5 million internally-displaced people and refugees in Syria and host countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt. The UAE has also granted around 100,000 visas for Syrians since the start of the crisis in Syria in 2011. About 242,000 Syrians currently reside in the UAE, where the majority were either found jobs or joined schools and universities.
The UAE continues to provide in-kind and financial assistance to support the Palestinian people and strengthen Palestinian institutions in the occupied territories, out of the commitment of the wise leadership to assert its absolute support for the reconstruction of Gaza and improving living conditions in the strip, and in Palestine in general.
During the meetings of the Cairo International Conference on Palestine held in October 2014, the UAE announced a pledge to donate about Dh736 million ($200 million) for reconstruction in Gaza.
The Gaza fund were divided over a period of three years, starting from 2015 until 2017, under a plan submitted by United Nations organisations and the Islamic Development Bank, and in line with the national plan for early recovery presented by the Palestinian government to the donor conference in Cairo.
The report added that the UAE assistance to Egypt is not new, and says the total value of the UAE's aid to the Arab country between 1971-2014 in all humanitarian and development areas stands at Dh47.3 billion.
Micad's report also shows that the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan implemented development and humanitarian projects worth $320 million to address the effects of the devastating floods that struck the country in 2010. Also, 86 million polio vaccinations were administered to the children of Pakistan in 53 areas in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the tribal Fateh Jang region as well as Balochistan and Sindh regions.
In addition, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced $100 million, for polio eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2011.
The UAE annual foreign aid report, which includes details about development, humanitarian, and charitable activities by the state since its release in June 2010, is the main reference for UAE and global decision-makers in the field of foreign aid. To date, five foreign aid reports have been released.- Wam

• UAE