100m Meals drive hits 79% of target
The ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign, which aims to provide food parcels to disadvantaged communities across 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, achieved 79 per cent of its target within the first week its launch.
The campaign raised over Dh78 million, equivalent to providing more than 79 million meals, as massive donations continue to pour in from individuals, companies and entities inside and outside the UAE.
On Saturday, Dar Al Ber Society, one of the first charities established in the UAE, donated Dh20 million to the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign. Dar Al Ber’s contribution will help provide 20 million meals to low-income communities in beneficiary countries.
Food distribution has already begun in several countries including Jordan, Egypt and Pakistan, with aims to provide food parcels enough to prepare 100 million meals across 20 countries.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary-general of MBRGI, said, “Raising more than half of the targeted donations in less than a week since the launch of the campaign reflects the keenness of the UAE community – with all its segments and companies – to support the country’s humanitarian efforts to provide relief to people in need across the world.”
He added, “as part of our role at MBRGI, we responded to the overwhelming donations by immediately starting the food distribution process in several countries, in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme and the Food Banking Regional Network.”
Food parcels are distributed in an integrated network of collaboration between the campaign’s organizer Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), the United Nations World Food Programme, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment (MBRCH), Food Banking Regional Network, and local humanitarian organizations in beneficiary countries.
Mohammed Souhil Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Dar Al Ber Society, said: “The 100 Million Meals campaign embodies the UAE’S commitment to its core values of giving, especially during Ramadan, the month of goodness, righteousness, and charity.
Organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global
Initiatives (MBRGI), the campaign aims to secure food parcels that empower disadvantaged families and individuals to prepare their own meals during the holy month of Ramadan. Every Dh1 donated helps provide one meal for beneficiaries in targeted countries including Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Angola.
The World Food Programme will help provide 20 per cent of the campaign’s food parcels to refugee camps in Palestine, Jordan, and Bangladesh, while the Food Banking Regional Network is securing food parcels to target groups in 13 of the targeted 20 countries.
The ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign aims to unite people from all over the world towards combating hunger and malnutrition.
Its main aim is to contribute to achieving the second of the UN Sustainable Development Goals that aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030 and involve the public in fighting hunger.