Dubai Government and corporations give USD10 million to fight hunger

In a letter sent to WFP by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, HH voiced hope that this contribution would be a "milestone in our relationship and signal a new, strengthened partnership to benefit those who suffer from poverty and to meet the needs of the hungriest people."

The Government of Dubai is providing US$5 million to assist WFP's worldwide Depots for humanitarian supplies. The Emirate has been very supportive of international humanitarian efforts and has served as a logistical hub for many big humanitarian operations over the past few years.

WFP has a support office in Dubai, which has evolved into one of the world's largest humanitarian emergency support and fast intervention bases, aiming at providing aid fast, safe and cost-effective. WFP and other humanitarian agencies makes full use of the central geographical location of Dubai, the country's expanding suppliers' base, as well as the wide range of competitive air and sea freight services. WFP and other humanitarian agencies are based in Dubai's International Humanitarian City.

Dubai will also host one of five international humanitarian depots that are planned by WFP to cope with the magnitude and growing number of emergencies in recent years.

"We are very thankful for the generous donations from the Government of Dubai," said WFP Executive Director James Morris, who is in the UAE today to meet with senior officials. "This donation will give an enormous boost to our ability to deliver urgent help to thousands of desperate people affected by crises -- quickly and effectively."

Three Dubai-based corporations are also donating another US$5 million to support WFP logistics capacity to cope with humanitarian emergencies. The three Dubai corporations are Dubai Holding (US$2 million), Nakheel (US$2 million), and Emaar Properties (US$1 million).

In letters sent to WFP, the three giant corporations noted WFP's "outstanding" logistical achievements in response to the South-East Asian earthquake and the conflict in Lebanon.

WFP is the UN frontline agency fighting hunger. It also provides logistics support to all other humanitarian agencies in major emergencies such as the recent conflict in Lebanon this year and the devastating earthquake in Kashmir last year.

Prompted by the magnitude and growing number of emergencies in recent years, WFP has launched a new humanitarian response "Network", with strategic hubs in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The Network is designed to meet the escalating challenges of sudden humanitarian emergencies which can sometimes strike almost simultaneously.

One of the Depots will be based in Dubai, where WFP already has a fast intervention team for information technology and telecommunications to support aid agencies in emergencies.

"This strong commitment by the private sector in Dubai to the critical global social issue of fighting hunger is very welcome and sets an example for other corporations within and outside the Middle East to follow," said Morris.

WFP fully depends on voluntary donations, mainly by governments, but is aspiring to have more support from the private sector worldwide. This year so far, WFP has raised over US$2.4 billion including nearly US$40 million from private donors.