UAE world’s top donor of direct humanitarian relief to Yemen

Abu Dhabi / WAM

The UAE spends more on direct emergency humanitarian aid to Yemen in 2018 than any country on earth, according to the Financial Tracking Services.
Established in 1992 as a follow-up to UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182, FTS is managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to track humanitarian aid flow.
The report documents the humanitarian aid provided to Yemen from January through September 1, this year.
In the meantime, the UAE follows the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the world’s second largest donor of 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP).
Since the beginning of 2018, the UAE provided AED3.75 billion ($1.02 billion) to Yemen, AED1.71 billion of which came in response to the YHRP, while AED815 million was in form of direct humanitarian aid.
UAE aid provided to Yemeni people since April 2015 through August 2018 amounted to AED13.96 billion ($3.80 billion), 34.5 percent of which was in form of humanitarian aid worth AED4.82 billion.
Developmental aid and other assistance for rehabilitating and supporting the infrastructure of the country’s liberated areas accounted for 65.4 percent (AED9.14 billion) of the total aid.
The assistance provided covered 14 primary and 45 sub-sectors, which corroborates the comprehensive nature of the UAE aid to help ensure normalcy of living conditions across the liberated as well as other territories in the embattled country.

ERC’s developmental projects in Yemen
Abu Dhabi / WAM

The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), is continuing to support the liberated governorates and cities of Yemen, through implementing developmental and service projects to meet the needs of the Yemeni people, as well as distributing food baskets to answer their immediate requirements.
Within this context, the UAE’s top humanitarian aid arm is sparing no effort to ensure the stability of Yemeni families, providing them with a decent life, launching social initiatives to achieve the aspirations of Yemeni youths, who are facing major challenges to realising their dreams of family stability, and easing their suffering caused by the country’s current humanitarian circumstances. In this report, the Emirates News Agency (WAM), identifies the ERC’s projects and initiatives in Yemen throughout the week.

The ERC distributed thousands of food baskets and basic supplies and launched many development and services projects that have been well-received by Yemeni families, who are aggrieved by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias.
The ERC launched a project to dig 23 solar-powered artesian wells equipped with desalination stations along the Red Sea Coast of Yemen, which will provide drinking water to 58,000 Yemenis, as part of the “UAE Water Aid Initiative,” in areas suffering from water scarcity, guaranteeing the stability of Yemeni families, answering their urgent needs, and easing their suffering.
The initiative, which was launched by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, aims to provide drinking water to five million people in countries suffering from water scarcity.
The project is being implemented in an integrated way and includes the digging of wells and their connection to pumping lines, as well as the installation of pumping units and their extensions to targeted locations, which will provide clean water to the residents of Al Khokha, Al Tuhaita, Al Duraihimi, Bait Al-Faqih, Zubaid and Al Hussainya.
The ERC also launched a similar project in Al Waara in Khawkhah District, Hodeidah Governorate, as part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to provide drinking water and meet the needs of residents of the country’s liberated areas who are suffering from water scarcity. More than 2,600 Yemenis have benefitted from the solar-powered well, which distributed 48 400-litre water tanks to various locations.
The ERC also organised the sixth group wedding in Yemen, and the second in Al Mukalla, Hadramaut Governorate, from which 200 young men and women benefitted. The series of weddings, which have benefitted 2,400 men and women in eight Yemeni governorates, are part of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to support the social stability of Yemeni youths.
The UAE is constructing a 120-megawatt power station in the temporary Yemeni capital, Aden, at a cost of $100 million, to improve the services offered to Yemenis, most notably electricity. The station, which has one of the largest power generators in the world, is being built in Al Haswa and will start operating in October.
An Emirati ship docked in Aden carried a power generator provided by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, as part of UAE’s ongoing support.
The construction of the station in Aden is directly supported by the UAE’s wise leadership and is part of its humanitarian commitment to the Yemeni people, to ease their suffering caused by the Houthi militias and their destruction of vital infrastructure.
The UAE also delivered a new batch of fully-equipped police and security cars to the coastal districts of the Hadramaut Governorate, as part of its efforts to support local security authorities, confirming the UAE’s desire to support Yemen and maintain security and stability in its liberated governorates, especially Hadramaut. The security authorities in Hadramaut received 157 vehicles, including four fully-equipped civil defence vehicles and 60 police motorcycles, at a total cost of AED20 million.
The report also monitored the ERC’s recent distribution of aid in Hodeidah Governorate, which included basic supplies and 72,000 food baskets that benefitted 504,000 Yemenis, including 360,000 children and around 75,000 women. The aid eased the suffering of Yemeni families and helped them overcome their difficult humanitarian circumstances caused by the Houthi militias and their intimidation of civilians.
The ERC also aims to improve the lives of Yemenis and ease their suffering by reaching out to the largest number of beneficiaries, answering their need for food supplies, and launching developmental projects that will restore stability and normal living conditions for Yemeni families.
The ERC has restored drinking water stations and distributed humanitarian and relief aid to the people of At Tuhayta and Ad Durayhimi in Hodeidah, which included 4,500 food baskets and basic supplies that benefitted 31,500 Yemeni citizens, including 22,500 children and around 4,800 women. It also distributed 1,500 food baskets to the residents of 12 villages in Hayfan District, Taiz Governorate, and sent a relief aids convoy to assist refugees from Hodeidah in the Al Ribat Camp in Teben Governorate.
The UAE’s support includes the maintenance of drinking water stations in Al Tuhaita District by a team of engineers who fixed their pumps, which guaranteed clean water for Yemeni families and restored normal living conditions there.
The ERC also provided a hospital in Al Tuhaita District with medicines and medical supplies, as part of the ERC’s plan to support the medical sector of the Red Sea Coast and improve the medical services offered to Yemeni households. It also launched a campaign to combat dengue fever in Ataq District, Shabwa Governorate, to support Yemenis and ease their suffering.
The UAE, through its humanitarian arm, is keeping pace with the operations to liberate Hodeidah, offering more humanitarian and food aid, implementing developmental and services projects, and supporting vital local sectors, with the aim of improving the lives of locals who are suffering from the difficult humanitarian circumstances and worsening living conditions.