SAMI ABDEL RAOUF (DUBAI)
Dubai Humanitarian (DXBH) announced that it dispatched $123 million worth of humanitarian aid from the city in 2023, through close collaboration with international, regional, and national organisations based in Dubai, leveraging the city's state-of-the-art facilities and logistical advantages.
The city reported a total of 1,201 shipments sent to beneficiary countries and regions, carrying a diverse range of aid totalling 16,000 tonnes.
This marked an increase from the previous year, where 15,343 tonnes of aid were dispatched.
In its annual statistical report for 2023, commemorating 20 years since its establishment, DXBH highlighted that aid reached 118 countries worldwide.
Health assistance took the lead in terms of financial value, amounting to $38.7 million, followed closely by shelter aid at approximately $30.4 million, and logistics services at $29.4 million.
The remaining funds were allocated to emergency communications, water and sanitation, protection, and food security.
The report also identified the top ten beneficiary countries: Sudan ($13 million), Türkiye ($12 m), Kenya ($9.7m), Yemen ($8.8m), Egypt (approx. $7.7m, Somalia ($5.8m), Chad ($5m), Afghanistan ($4m), Cameroon ($3.9m) and Djibouti ($3.5m).
Chairman of the Board of DXBH, His Excellency Mohammad Ibrahim Al Shaibani, expressed his vision during the annual report's opening address, "As we enter the third decade of service, this strategic evolution reflects Dubai's dedication to enhancing humanitarian efforts while embracing innovation and adaptability."
Al Shaibani emphasised DXBH's commitment to building bridges between humanitarian aid and various industrial sectors, improving the lives of less fortunate communities worldwide.
The organisation has entered a new proactive, efficient, and innovative phase, strengthening partnerships to realise a shared and hopeful humanitarian vision, he said, adding that Dubai's position as a global hub facilitating humanitarian work remains unwavering.
DXBH, now the world's largest humanitarian logistics hub, has quadrupled in size over the past two decades, expanding from 30,000 square metres to over 140,000 square metres.
Collaborating with 77 agencies, including 10 UN agencies, as well as other humanitarian organisations and commercial companies, DXBH's strategic location at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and East and South Asia enables access to two-thirds of the world's population within four hours, even in crisis-prone areas.
In a pioneering move towards sustainability, DXBH organised a leading conference focused on developing a sustainable humanitarian supply chain.
Since 2018, it has supported 24 emergency humanitarian responses through the Global Humanitarian Impact Fund, providing over Dh34 million, including 10 air shipments in 2023, costing Dh7.2 million, benefitting Türkiye, Syria, Libya, Chad, and Lebanon.
The report revealed that humanitarian organisations' warehouses within DXBH held a total stock valued at $184 million in 2023.
Health supplies dominated, with over $53.5 million, followed by logistics services at $48.8 million, shelter aid at $36.3 million, and food security at approximately $20.5 million.
The remaining stock was distributed across water and sanitation, protection, and education.