UAE disburses Dh7.74 billion in foreign aid in 2011, benefitting 128 countries

Abu Dhabi, Sept 30, 2012 (WAM) - Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi and President of OCFA, has praised the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General/ His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and their continuous support to the foreign aid programs and initiatives. This came during an event held to announce the UAE Foreign Aid Report 2011. According to the UAE Foreign Aid Report 2011, the UAE disbursed a total of Dh 7.74 billion (US$2.11 billion) of foreign aid benefiting 128 countries across the world, and committed Dh 674.9 million (US$183.7 million) in 2011. The report, released yesterday by UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA), shows a significant increase in the total amount of disbursements over the previous 2 years. UAE Foreign Aid 2011, the third annual report on the UAE's humanitarian, development and charitable aid to other countries, draws together a huge range of facts and figures to give readers a clear picture of the UAE's foreign aid. It is comprised of data from 34 UAE donor organisations, including the UAE government, foundations, the private sector and NGOs. Speaking about the report, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed said, "Our development initiatives in countries across the world have played a meaningful role in the creation of valuable infrastructure including roads, hospitals, schools and water supply systems, to promote inclusive progress for all the citizens of the countries where we have supported projects. Supporting development is not only about helping fund new infrastructure, it is also about contributing to individual wellbeing and advancement." Sheikh Hamdan praised the efforts made by the UAE donor organisations for the continuous assistance they offer to help the most neglected members of society by providing shelter, food, and education to orphaned and deprived children to help them strive for a better life, and the efforts made by the people of the UAE whose generosity and concern for the welfare of those less fortunate have helped confirm the nation's commitment to its aid initiatives around the world. He also acknowledged the constructive cooperation with the UAE Office for Coordination of Foreign Aid, and for providing the office with their foreign aid records for 2011. This report offers considerably more detailed information about the major programs of each donor organisation than in previous years. Information about the geographical spread of the UAE's aid is provided in a new format, with focus countries presented in a regional context; and the 2011 data is compared with the figures for 2009 and 2010. The report also offers more detailed analysis of how the donor organisations deliver their aid. The distinction between multilateral and bilateral is replaced by six types of assistance identifying those organisations that deliver directly to recipient governments, or work through partnerships or contracts with other organisations. UAE donor organisations have collectively disbursed Dh 7.74 billion in 2011 towards building schools and hospitals, roads and bridges, supporting extensive immunisation programs, providing much-needed humanitarian relief to regions that suffered devastating natural disasters and conflict. The individual countries receiving the most aid were the Sultanate of Oman with Dh 3.68 billion, Jordan with Dh 757.5 million, and Kazakhstan with Dh 315.9 million. The UAE Government was again the largest donor, giving Dh 5.97 billion, more than 77 percent of total aid, followed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), which disbursed Dh 782.3 million. Dh 6.86 billion was disbursed for development projects, an increase of 210.2 percent over the figure for 2010. The UAE also responded generously to humanitarian crises, dispatching coordinated UAE Relief Teams to contribute to international efforts to assist those displaced by fighting in Libya, the victims of the famine in the Horn of Africa, and thousands of people affected by flooding in Pakistan: overall, Dh 625.3 million was spent on humanitarian aid in 2011, an increase of 54.2 percent over the figure for 2010. A total of Dh 253.1 million was devoted to charitable projects, an increase of 36.9 percent over 2010. The report also highlights the particular national character of the UAE's aid, with features about the programs of assistance for orphan children, and the charitable programs of several donors which support the religious and cultural ties between the people of the UAE and the people of other countries. By transmitting information to international bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS), UAE Foreign Aid 2011 will also help to further strengthen the UAE's ties with the international aid community and enhance the country's profile as a major global donor in the international aid arena. The information in this report, and in the reports for 2009 and 2010, can now be freely explored and customised on the Foreign Aid Tracking Service (FATS), an interactive user-friendly database of UAE foreign aid data from 2009 to 2011, available at www.ocfa.gov.ae – Emirates News Agency, WAM