Page 53 - UAE Foreign Aid Report 2022

Section 02
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UAE Support towards SDGs and its Sectors of Assistance

The UAE has a robust history of extending financial and developmental assistance to countries battling
poverty, effectively contributing to worldwide poverty eradication. This commitment manifests in various
forms, such as enhancing basic living conditions, extending financial support, and offering humanitarian
aid during crises that frequently impose disproportionate burdens on impoverished populations.

The United Arab Emirates demonstrated its steadfast commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 1
(SDG 1), End Poverty in all its forms everywhere, by providing support to numerous countries, notably
28 of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The UAE’s tangible commitment was evident in its
financial support towards SDG 1 in 2022, totaling AED 1.40 billion (USD 380.04 million). Notably Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, and Yemen were among the top recipients, collectively accounting
for 49% of the aid directed by the UAE in 2022 toward SDG 1.

As highlighted in the 2022 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO), humanitarian requirements escalated
to USD 51.7 billion, with the number of people requiring humanitarian aid in 63 countries soaring by
almost 40%, reaching 326 million by year-end. Give this pressing need, the UAE strategically mobilized
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aid towards humanitarian assistance and has aligned nearly one-third of its humanitarian assistance in
2022 to SDG 1.

Social Services
01

Aligned with this objective, the UAE allocated over half of its SDG 1 aid towards social welfare services and
assorted basic social services sectors, equating to AED 757.4 million (USD 206.2 million) in disbursements. This aid
facilitated the provision of cash transfers and rental payments for almost 7,000 displaced Syrian families in Jordan
and Iraq and extended financial assistance to support livelihood initiatives and help families in other developing
countries gain sustainable incomes. In addition, a considerable portion of the aid supported the UAE’s enduring
commitment to assisting orphans, providing financial relief to poor and vulnerable families.

02 Commodity Aid

The UAE gave substantial aid to the commodity aid sector, covering emergency food aid, emergency multi-sector
aid, and emergency shelter and non-food-items (NFIs). These disbursements, totaling AED 367.3 million (USD
100.0 million), catered to populations affected by over a dozen natural disasters and crises. For instance, following
the devastating flooding in Pakistan in 2022, the UAE rapidly orchestrated more than 60 air bridges and three
ship deliveries, providing over 5,200 tons of food, NFIs, emergency shelters, and safe drinking water. Moreover,
it bolstered local economies by purchasing 665 tons of basic emergency supplies from local markets in Pakistan.