UAE aid improves lives in crisis-hit areas
abu dhabi — The UAE, since its establishment in 1971, has played a leading role in humanitarian acivities, said Toby Harward, the head of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in the UAE.
In a recent interview, he added that the UAE is aware of the crises in the region and is working to respond to these crises in modern and innovative ways. As 2017 is the ‘Year of Giving’, the UAE has launched several initiatives related to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Yemen and Somalia.
The latest humanitarian initiatives are the Humanitarian Accelerators, the first of its kind in the Arab world, aimed at utilising modern technologies and competencies for humanitarian action and improving people’s lives in all fields.
When asked about the value of the UAE’s cooperation with the UNHCR, Harward said that the UN body has strong relations with the UAE Government and its local institutions. “The UAE’s geostrategic position as a beacon of stability in a region of conflicts makes it an ideal location for the UNHCR’s largest Global Stockpile Warehouse of emergency relief items, based in the International Humanitarian City in Dubai.”
He said the UNHCR lauds the generosity of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; his wife Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City, who have regularly supported UNHCR’s emergency shipments.
The UAE’s geostrategic position makes it an ideal place for the UNHCR’s largest global stockpile warehouse of emergency relief items, based in the International Humanitarian City.”
Toby Harward, head of United UNHCR office in the UAE
In addition to that, the UNHCR highlighted its pride in the appointment of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation as the UNHCR’s first Eminent Advocate, for three consecutive periods, in recognition of her humanitarian contribution to refugees across the region.
She has helped, on a personal level and through the foundation, some 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons both in the region and globally with a total financial support of some $22 million.
Harward commended Sheikh Khalifa for launching “For You Somalia” campaign to provide suffering Somalis with food, water, medicine and other necessities to help them survive their third famine in 25 years. Harward said the UNHCR is working and cooperating with the UAE on several important projects, the most important of which is the UAE initiative to receive 15,000 Syrians over five years starting this year. He added that the UAE already hosts nearly 250,000 Syrians in the country, including many who entered after the 2011 conflict.
“However,” he continued, “the huge scale of the Syrian displacement crisis requires new solutions in order to share responsibility and ease the burden on Syria’s neighbours. The UAE’s announcement to welcome an additional 15,000 Syrians showed that the country is ready to embrace one of the key global challenges of our time, and is willing to work with the UN to look beyond established solutions, and to find new, creative and innovative answers to forced displacement.
“Also for the future, the UNHCR is excited at the prospects offered by the Humanitarian Accelerators initiative. Two of the four challenges to be addressed by the Humanitarian Accelerators directly address key issues identified in last year’s UN General Assembly summit on refugees: The need to provide both education and livelihoods to refugees.”
“In addition, the UNHCR leads on the subject of the return of refugees to their countries, in cooperation with other UN organisations and partners. When the time is right, we hope that the UAE will actively participate in supporting reconstruction of infrastructure and other associated development projects, both at government and private sector levels.” — Wam