UAE – An historical and a humanitarian support to Palestine

For several decades, the United Arab Emirates has been keen to support Palestine by all means, defending its cause in various ways and in various Arab and international forums, as well as providing assistance to the Palestinian people in terms of health, education, humanitarian and food.

The United Arab Emirates has placed the question of Palestine at the top of its humanitarian priorities in order to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and support their basic needs. It ranks fourth among the 10 largest financial support countries for the State of Palestine since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994.

The commitment of the rulers of the UAE stems from a promise made to him by Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, at the time of the founding of the UAE in 1971: “Our support for the Palestinian people will continue until this people achieves its ambition to establish its independent state”, making the UAE’s approach and its consistent policy a firm commitment to support the Palestinian cause to this day.

According to Palestinian figures, the UAE has provided US$2.104 billion in aid to the Palestinian people since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. The UN asserts that Abu Dhabi, in addition to being one of the largest donors to the UNRWA Palestinian Refugee Agency, contributed more than US$828.2 million from 2013 to April 2020 to finance various sectors in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to the WAM news agency.

Abu Dhabi contributed approximately US$ 105 million to support UNRWA education programs, enabling the Agency to provide a suitable learning environment for Palestinian children; it has contributed around US$ 105 million to support UNRWA education programs.

Last November, the United Arab Emirates provided support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to implement the project to build the Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan School in the Gaza Strip; the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation provided $600,000 in humanitarian support for the school construction project.

Palestine is the primary destination of the United Arab Emirates’ assistance over many years and decades. It confirms beyond any doubt that Palestine has been at the heart and the concern of the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates. It has always been at the helm of the Palestinian people and at the forefront of those who have taken the initiative to stand by its side and those who support it. Abu Dhabi takes clear positions on Palestine, both politically and humanely.

Through its leading institutions, the State provided approximately $364 million in humanitarian, development and food assistance to the Palestinian people during 2017 and 2018; “The figures show the great support that the Palestinian brothers from the UAE have received over the past years, as they show a doubling of the rate of humanitarian assistance provided by the UAE to Palestine”.

Over those decades, the United Arab Emirates has never ceased to provide assistance and support to its brothers in Palestine. It has never turned a blind eye to the wounds inflicted on them again and again. They have had the support, support and assistance that would otherwise have resulted in major humanitarian crises, the effects of which cannot be addressed by major organizations.

Various UAE institutions have been keen to support Palestine, including the UAE Red Crescent Authority, which organized humanitarian aid convoys for the people of Gaza and provided immediate relief items to the affected people in Palestine; Over the years, aid convoys carrying relief items have been arriving in the Gaza Strip, as well as monitoring the needs of the people of Gaza and Palestine.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the UAE played a prominent role in assisting the Palestinian people and humanitarian organizations were given huge support to alleviate the suffering of the citizens. On April 5, 2020, the UAE International Charity Organization handed over a financial check equivalent to $216,000 for 650 orphans sponsored by the Authority, as part of its efforts to enable them to overcome the difficult circumstances that the society is going through.

The organization also granted health officials in Jerusalem 100 medical uniforms for doctors and patients to protect medical staff, along with the payment of benefits to 3,000 families, as part of the “Decent Living” program adopted by the organization, in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development.