Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) on Wednesday issued a report focusing on the future of Humanitarian Work in the UAE. The DFF released the report, in cooperation with the Dubai Future Council for Humanitarian Work,on the occasion of the United Nations’ celebration of World Humanitarian Day on August 19. The day celebrates and honour all humanitarian workers who dedicated their lives to assist and protect people in need, particularly amid the current circumstances.

The report titled, ‘Future Trends: The Future of Humanitarian Work’, is part of DFF’s series of future-focused reports. It highlights that the health challenges being faced by the world have strengthened the adoption of advanced technologies across several aspects of humanitarian work around the globe.

Speaking at the occasion, Saeed Al Eter, Assistant Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and Chairman of Dubai Future Council on Humanitarian Work, said that the UAE has emerged as one of the world’s leading countries in the field of humanitarian work. He added that the UAE has successfully provided medical, health, food and educational aid to millions of people in need across the world in the past months in the fight against the Coronavirus crisis.

He asserted that this exceptional work was carried out as a result of the nation’s various global humanitarian initiatives, friendly relations with various countries and readiness of the UAE's leadership to provide help and support to brotherly nations as they fight to overcome from the difficult challenges imposed by the COVID-19 virus.

Saeed Al Eter also affirmed that the Dubai Future Council for Humanitarian Work is in discussions with various specialists to review various mechanisms to further boost the humanitarian services in the coming future.

"The organisation aims to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid to communities in need around the world through leveraging modern innovations that contribute to strengthening the UAE's position as a global model for humanitarian work," he added

In his remarks, Dubai Future Foundation's CEO Khalfan JumaaBelhoul said that modern technology will play a major role in developing the humanitarian sector and strengthening its effectiveness.

"Through relying more on data and information analysis and strategic planning, it will be possible to respond to humanitarian crises around the world immediately and effectively," he added.

Belhoul also highlighted that the report is a comprehensive guide for all government and private sector companies which are involved in the humanitarian work sector in the UAE and around the world. The report will provide them with information about the importance of adopting safe technology solutions.

The report has assessed various developing projects and initiatives carried out by the UAE in the field of humanitarian work, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). It is a leading global philanthropic organisation that has provided significant investment towards the enhancement of its e-learning platform titled ‘Madrasa’ aiming to provide free educational services to children across the Arab region and developing innovative offline solutions to address challenges in the educational sector. UNESCO has also recognised Madrasas for its contributions in providing robust digital learning solutions to support children across the globe, particularly amid pandemic restrictions and school closures.

Dubai Cares, a part of MBRGI, has also joined hands with the UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition for COVID-19 response. It is a collaboration between several international organizations spread across multiple sectors, including government, private sector and civil society, aiming to assist nations to develop effective solutions for distance learning and boosting the adoption of technology for digitalising the education sector.

The report also details the crucial role played by the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai in assisting and carrying out first responses to various crises at the international level. Over the past few months, the IHC has worked in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and expanded its efforts to provide support to various communities globally which have been hard-hit by the impact of novel Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the report, global health challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak have caused severe new hindrances in the humanitarian efforts, further resulting in the need for a more developed and enhanced public healthcare system with all necessary equipment and medical screening devices. Evidently, these obstacles have hampered the pace and effectiveness of the supply of aid across the world.

At the same time, the economic repercussions of the pandemic crisis and measures imposed by the governments to contain the virus have resulted in increased unemployment, reduced global remittances, further worsening poverty rates. These issues have intensified the need for humanitarian and medical aid, particularly to the countries in deep need for support.

Furthermore, the report has also stressed the need for governments to focus on increasing investments in strengthening local capacities in the fields of humanitarian and development work such that there is long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency for communities in future crises. In addition, there is a need to improve efficiency in distribution of limited resources and to execute proactive measures rather than response action in times of crises. Significantly, world governments can prevent the occurrence of crises instead of handling them by proactively identifying and minimising risks through effective risk management plans.

The report also suggested the need for the NGOs to review their business models and expand their sources of income, highlighting that the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis will restrict donors' capacity to invest various humanitarian initiatives of the NGOs. They must diversify their sources of income instead of depending on a single line of funding and public contributions.

WAM