UAE commits Dh5.83b in foreign aid to 137 countries in 2012, says new report

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed Dh5.83 billion in grants and loans to 137 countries and regions around the world, the UAE Ministry of Development and International Cooperation said in its UAE Foreign Aid 2012 report released on Tuesday. The UAE, ranked last year as the world's 16th most generous donor by OECD, also allocated Dh5.59 billion towards future projects. Nearly 78 per cent of these funds will be for official development assistance, report says. "The United Arab Emirates' generosity has allowed it to be ranked by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD-DAC) among the world's most generous donors in 2012," H.H Sheikh Mansour said in his message in the UAE Foreign Aid 2012' report released yesterday by the Ministry of Development and International Cooperation (MDIC). "This foreign policy represents the continued application of the values and principles established by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, and it is based on the UAE's financial, moral, and practical commitment to respond to humanitarian crises and natural disasters across the world," H.H Sheikh Mansour added. The report says some 87 per cent of the UAE's aid went to development projects (Dh5.07 billion), 6.9 per cent to humanitarian assistance (Dh404.4 million), and 6.1 per cent to charity projects (Dh356.2 million). Asia topped the list of recipients of the United Arab Emirate's foreign assistance last year, receiving more than half or Dh3.24 billion of the total disbursements. H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed re-affirmed that the United Arab Emirates, since its establishment in 1971, has maintained a balanced foreign aid polity in the Arab region and beyond, and is always ready to mediate for re-conciliation, reach out with relief, and support development projects in various countries and regions. "President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has continued on the path said, 'Humanitarian diplomacy is one of the main pillars of our foreign policy, and country will continue to support international efforts to respond to disasters and answer the call for relief,'" H.H Sheikh Mansour said. He added that the figures presented in UAE Foreign Aid 2012 demonstrated how these principles were translated into actions in regions affected by natural disasters and conflicts, as well as in countries that lack infrastructure. "This report reflects the activities and achievements of the United Arab Emirate's development, humanitarian and charitable organisations that work hard to fight poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and diseases in more than 100 countries around the world providing education, healthcare, and emergency relief to assist vulnerable communities to overcome the many challenges they face," H.H Sheikh Mansour said. H.H Sheikh Mansour added that in the pursuit of a more coordinated and sustainable approach to foreign aid, in 2008 the UAE established the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA). "This office was later merged with the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD), which is officially mandated to propose strategies and polices related to foreign aid, raise the profile of the UAE as a major donor and support the foreign aid decision-making process." "As a result, the UAE's Official Development Assistance (ODA) has increased every year, highlighting the humanity of the UAE people and leadership," H.H Sheikh Mansour added. Dh2.24 billion of the UAE's foreign aid in 2012 was allocated to western Asia where the main recipients were Jordan, Palestine, Yemen and Azerbaijan. Western Asia was the primary destination of the UAE foreign aid for three consecutive years since 2009, while Africa received more than 20 per cent of the UAE aid last year or Dh1.26 billion.