MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Some 826 million people are living in extreme poverty globally in 2026, and the UN warns that progress in bringing that number down has stalled. On International Day for the Eradication of Poverty today, the world is reminded of the scale of the work that remains.
Poverty in many pockets of the world is a challenge the UAE has sought to address through a humanitarian approach the country traces to its Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. With a mission of bringing hope and uplifting lives, the nation’s efforts span development finance, hunger relief, emergency aid, education and health projects, among others.
The country provided $3.4 billion in official development assistance (ODA) in 2025, equivalent to 0.61% of its gross national income, up from 0.37% in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD describes development cooperation as a central component of UAE foreign policy, which aims to reduce poverty, promote stability, peace and prosperity, strengthen relationships with partners, and foster trade and investment ties.
Most of the UAE's development assistance is channelled bilaterally. The Middle East and Africa received 43.2% and 40.5% of its gross bilateral ODA, respectively, in 2024.
That year, 83.9% of its gross bilateral ODA, about $2 billion, went to countries and contexts experiencing high and extreme fragility, the OECD said.
The UAE also funds multilateral development initiatives. In 2024, it committed $50 million to the second phase of the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF 2.0), a multi-donor initiative that helps Islamic Development Bank member countries tackle poverty through projects in health, agriculture and social infrastructure. The financing, administered by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, adds to the $50 million the UAE has contributed since the fund's launch in 2016.
Beyond development assistance, the UAE runs initiatives addressing hunger and supporting communities affected by conflict, displacement and other humanitarian crises.
Among the most prominent this year is the Edge of Life campaign, which aims to help save five million children worldwide from hunger. The drive raised more than Dh2.8 billion from over 44,000 individuals, companies and humanitarian organisations.
Education projects this year include a vocational institute in Senegal designed to give around 1,000 young people technical and professional skills, while the UAE has also launched initiatives supporting the global fight against river blindness.
UAE humanitarian organisations have continued to deliver aid and development projects abroad. The International Charity Organisation implemented projects worth more than Dh353 million in the first half of 2026 across healthcare, education, water, food assistance and emergency relief. The Zayed for Good Foundation's programmes have reached more than 180 countries since 1992, with assistance worth more than Dh2 billion.
Safe Homes for All
This year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on "Safe Homes for All", under the broader 2026–2028 theme "United for Peace and Human Rights."
The UN says more than 2.8 billion people worldwide face some form of housing inadequacy, while more than 300 million live without safe, secure and adequate housing.
The annual observance draws attention to poverty as a multidimensional challenge that extends beyond income to include access to adequate housing, food, healthcare, education and social protection.