Skip to main content

UAE’s humanitarian approach ingrained in its foreign policy

Countries
India
+ 3 more
Sources
Govt. UAE
Publication date
Origin
View original

The UAE has reinforced its international humanitarian relief approach, which is based upon close coordination with countries and communities entitled to receive its aid, through the launch, by the wise leadership, of an initiative to create a national committee to rescue those affected by the floods in Kerala, India.

The initiative aims to involve the public and private sectors, as well as representatives of the Indian community.

The committee reflects the ties of friendship and loyalty between the UAE and India, and the wise leadership considers the Indian community in the UAE, who are mostly descended from Kerala, as part of the UAE’s success. Rescuing needy people in Kerala is, therefore, a duty, especially during these blessed times.

A few hours after the directives to form the committee was announced, many public and private sector institutions announced their support for the humanitarian mission, which is the third current rescue initiative organised by the UAE, which is also supporting floods victims in Eastern Sudan and earthquake victims in Western Indonesia.

One of the factors that enabled the UAE, for five consecutive years, to top a list of international humanitarian donor countries in relation to national income, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, is the approach to humanitarian aid which has been ingrained in its foreign policy, whose foundations were established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and has become part of the UAE Vision 2021.

The country’s humanitarian strategy is founded on a citizenship culture that is based on a love for giving and an innovative capacity to make aid part of sustainable development programmes, which aim to empower underprivileged communities without discrimination.

The UAE is the only country in the world that has made humanitarian action an integral part of its foreign policy, as it considers humanitarianism a pillar of citizenship. Therefore, it is not strange for the country to launch its current rescue campaigns in Kerala, Eastern Sudan and Indonesia, which coincide with International Humanitarian Action Day and Eid Al Adha, and are part of the Year of Zayed 2018, when the voluntary efforts of public and private institutions are making the UAE a centre of regional and international humanitarian action.

The UAE leads the world in providing humanitarian aid and has adopted a humanitarian plan for 2017 to 2021, with the aim of supporting the sustainable development plans of developing countries. The country has established three global programmes in the areas of transport, urban infrastructure, government effectiveness, women's empowerment and freedom, as well as humanitarian aid programmes in the development, humanitarian and charity sectors.

The UAE’s current rescue campaigns in Kerala, Sudan and Indonesia reflect its innovative solutions to the problems faced by humanitarian and rescue missions, which include logistical services, infrastructure, value-added services and rapid response, as well as its willingness to provide security, funding and effective partnerships, which are part of its national rescue strategy based on communication, innovation and humanitarian initiatives.

The UAE has a humanitarian legacy that does not include conditional aid, and has provided aid out of its love of giving to stabilise underprivileged communities.