A beacon of hope for millions of impoverished

From providing bountiful financial aid to eradicating polio and human trafficking , Sheikh Mohamed’s generosity knows no bounds

keen humanitarian, the third President of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s acts of kindness have eased the suffering of millions of impoverished people in the young nation and the rest of the world.

From providing bountiful financial aid to eradicating polio and human trafficking to helping refugees from displaced countries during their dire needs, his generosity knows no bounds. The UAE is one of the world’s key aid donors and supporters of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Under Sheikh Mohamed’s leadership, the UAE has sent several tonnes of relief materials to Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Malawi, and many other countries suffering peril. The country sent out several deployments for humanitarian missions for countries in need. Moreover, he ensured that the citizens and residents in the UAE were well taken care of.

Here are some of Sheikh Mohamed’s most notable humanitarian efforts:

Tackling human trafficking

The charismatic leader has been determined to fight human trafficking crime. In 2008, he donated $15 million to the Global Initiative to tackle human trafficking. In 2007, the UAE established National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and initiated several initiatives and programmes.

Over the years, the UAE has founded several institutions that provide care and accommodation for victims, including the Abu Dhabi Centre for Shelter and Humanitarian Care. Last year, the country won the UN Human Rights Council’s membership for the 20222024 term from the Asia-pacific group for the third time reflecting international acclaim for the crucial work being carried out to bolster human rights.

Help for vulnerable people

In 2017, Sheikh Mohamed launched the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), a 10-year, $100 million initiative to deliver prevention and treatment across seven countries in Africa and the Middle East. Similarly, the Reach Campaign seeks to end two devastating neglected tropical diseases (NTDS) — river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in African countries. In December 2021, Niger became the first African nation to eliminate river blindness.

Recently, Malaria No More, in partnership with the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi and the Reaching the Last Mile programme, announced the launch of a new global institute to combat malaria in the face of climate change and weather volatility. Also, the new President has initiated efforts to combat Guinea Worm disease in African countries.

Sheikh Mohamed provided temporary shelter to Afghan evacuees at the Emirates Humanitarian City and took the effort to visit many young children while they were staying in Abu Dhabi after the Taliban takeover of the conflict-hit nation last year.

The Vatican’s Foundation Gravissimum Educationis honoured him with the “Man of Humanity” Award in 2021. He was also recognised for his role in strengthening values of peace and peaceful co-existence, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to avoid conflicts, championing humanitarian values, as well as reinforcing UAE’S pioneering role in all humanitarian fronts.

Last year, the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (Dihad) International Scientific Advisory Board (Disab) granted Sheikh Mohamed ‘The 2021 Dihad International Personality Award for Humanitarian Relief’ as a gesture of international gratitude for his continuous support and dedicated efforts in reinforcing humanitarian aid internationally.

He also received the award as a token of appreciation for the UAE’S leading role in providing necessary medical aid and support for people around the world, especially considering the repercussions of the raging Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), met Sheikh Mohamed last year and praised him for his health and humanitarian initiatives, including the Emirates Polio Campaign, the Reaching the Last Mile Fund, End River Blindness, and efforts to eradicate guinea worm disease. Such path-breaking measures have given a boost to the WHO’S programmes to combat and eliminate diseases, especially in the least developed countries (LDCS) in sub-saharan Africa and other parts of the world.

Under Sheikh Mohamed’s leadership, the UAE has sent several tonnes of relief materials to Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Malawi, and many other countries suffering peril. The country sent out several deployments for humanitarian missions for countries in need