Together We Stand

[ 26 ] wide appeal to raise funds and reach 10 million people. By the end of the year the UAE had provided a total US$447 million in assistance for over 2 million people across nine governorates, disbursed by seven UAE aid entities including the Mohammed Bin Rashed Foundation, and announced a further US$20 million to be disbursed in partnership with United Nations organizations. Thousands of tons of relief supplies were shipped to Yemen from the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, which stores emergency food, medical and shelter supplies in its warehouses on behalf of international and local organizations. Coordination with the Government of Yemen is led by the UAE Red Crescent field team, which is comprised of full-time Emirati staff and approximately 1,000 Yemenis. The impact of the UAE’s multisectoral assistance was apparent almost immediately, and will have long-term implications for the country’s resilience, rehabilitation and development. The rehabilitation of Aden airport and seaport, for example, provides critical support to the overall humanitarian response to Yemen by allowing cargo to arrive by land and sea, facilitating the transport of injured people and repatriation of Yemenis who had been stranded abroad, as well as creating jobs and helping to stimulate the local economy. The UAE also helped to restore electricity in Aden, providing emergency power stations in order to meet immediate energy needs, while also working to rein- state 52 MW of the original 60 MW capacity of the local power station and meet the fuel, management and running costs for the grid to supply energy to neighbouring gover- norates in future. Short-term and longer-term educational and medical needs have been addressed, as UAE aid actors helped schools in the Aden governorate to begin the school year by providing funds for the rehabilitation of the 154 schools, procurement of supplies and management costs. Similarly, the UAE has helped to get 11 hospitals and medical centres up and running, including the complete rehabilitation of the largest hospital in Aden and the provision of 1,000 tons of medical supplies. In addition to trucks for the transportation of aid goods, the UAE has provided fire brigade vehicles, trucks and other vehicles to enable the Government to respond to future emergencies, as well as training for the police and coast guards. Looking forward, the UAE intends to build on its strengths as a major aid actor, retaining its holistic and flexible approach as it works towards developing a more cohesive aid strategy in major counties of interest. Through ‘Country Partnerships for Development’, the UAE will roll out multi-year country programmes that are aligned with the national development plans of partner countries, meeting immediate needs and helping to build resilience to future shocks. Where countries face complex development and humani- tarian needs, the UAE’s immediate response will continue to lay the foundations for longer-term programming. In fragile and conflict-affected states, this may require devel- opment programming to be based, among other things, on fragility assessments, designed to strengthen institutions and alleviate conflict. The UAE remains committed to working in close part- nership with members of the local and international community in order to achieve these goals, as we strive to complement the efforts of other donors and create the greatest possible impact. UAE aid actors address short-term and longer-term educational and medical needs Image: Initiative from Her Highness Sheika Fatima bint Mubarak Close links to Pakistan enable UAE development teams to reach areas that are largely inaccessible to other international aid actors Image: UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme T ogether W e S tand