Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
The UAE stands as the Arab world’s largest and world’s second-largest humanitarian donor to Gaza in 2024, according to OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS). The continuous provision of aid reaffirms the UAE’s long-standing commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause.
According to OCHA’s FTS data, the UAE has donated $204,575,143 so far in 2024, which accounts for 13% of the total humanitarian funding flow for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, behind only the United States. This places it ahead of significant contributors such as the European Commission, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, the UK, and Switzerland.
In its latest effort, the fourth UAE aid ship bound for Gaza arrived at Al Arish Port on Sunday, carrying 5,340 tonnes of supplies as part of Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3." The ship's cargo included 4,134 tonnes of food parcels, 110 tonnes of water distributed over 200,000 packages, more than 4,000 tents, and 42,000 health packages for women and children, among other relief materials.
Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3" encompasses a series of humanitarian initiatives aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. These include establishing two field hospitals, five automatic bakeries, and six desalination plants producing 1.2 million gallons daily, benefitting more than 600,000 people.
“Since the beginning of the difficult circumstances experienced by our Palestinian brothers, the UAE has continued to fulfil its humanitarian and relief role in helping them by all available means, which is in accordance with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to alleviate the severity of the humanitarian conditions suffered by our brothers in the Gaza Strip,” said Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC).
UAE: A Leading Global Donor
Beyond its contributions to Gaza, the UAE is also the Arab world’s largest and the world’s ninth-largest humanitarian aid donor in 2024 so far, having donated $256,372,744 and pledged an additional $15,000,000 to various causes.
UN organisations were the primary recipients of UAE humanitarian contributions - the World Food Programme received 55.2% of the donations ($141,617,076), followed by UNRWA at 7.8% ($20,000,000) and the World Health Organisation at 6.8% ($17,423,060).
Of its total donations tracked by FTS, 79.8% went to the occupied Palestinian territories, 6.6% to Sudan ($17 million), and 4.5% to Ukraine ($11,630,628), with the remainder directed to other regions in need.
In terms of sector allocation, food security was a primary focus, receiving 45.2% ($87,502,367) of the total contributions. Other key sectors included coordination and support services (18.4% or $35,591,520), emergency shelter (11.4% or $21,968,980), and health (9.7% or $18,808,618), as well as water sanitation and hygiene and logistics.
The UAE's approach to foreign assistance is deeply rooted in the principles set by the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The country's aid strategy reflects a commitment to global peace, security, and prosperity, reaching millions of people across 140 countries through over 40 organisations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.
