UAE sends 28m meals to Palestine as part of 100m meals campaign

Dubai: The UAE has distributed around 28 million meals in Palestine as part of its 100 Million Meals campaign, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The 100 Million Meals campaign launched during Ramadan this year has enabled the WFP to provide food support to more than 310,000 people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, MBRGI said on Tuesday.

The food support provided by the 100 Million Meals campaign to Palestine comes as a continuation of the UAE’s support for the Palestinian people, which extends over decades.

Some 103,000 people across the West Bank’s 11 governorates have benefited from the instant e-vouchers worth US$2M (Dh7.3M) and the support has reached over 17,167 families that chose food items from more than 130 local stores.

The UAE food campaign has also benefited more than 207,385 people across Gaza Strip’s five governorates. The food support was provided to 34,564 families for a whole month and also benefited small projects, retail stores, farmers and women’s cooperatives, which were certified as food suppliers.

Successful food distribution

Sara Al Nuaimi, MBRGI director, said: “The 100 Million Meals campaign has successfully distributed a large number of meals in Palestine and was able to reach tens of thousands of beneficiaries in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in spite of all logistical complications”.

“The cooperation with the WFP facilitated the relief efforts all over Palestine,” she noted.

Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The area also has a high rate of poverty, with about 70 per cent of families suffering from food insecurity, according to the WFP. The campaign, in cooperation with international institutions, most notably the WFP, was able to access various sites as part of an enhanced partnership with international institutions.

Long-term partnership

Mageed Yahia, WFP director in the UAE and Representative to the GCC, added: “As we mark the completion of the food distribution to 310,385 beneficiaries in Gaza and in the West Bank, on behalf of WFP and tens of thousands beneficiaries, we express our thanks and gratitude to Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives (MBRGI).”

“The 100 Million Meals Campaign is a new chapter in the long-standing partnership between MBRGI and WFP, aimed at transforming the lives of millions of people who face food insecurity on daily basis. It showcases just how much can be achieved when the public support is mobilised to combat the global hunger. It also proves that together we can make a world with Zero Hunger a reality,” Yahia added: “

According to MBRGI, the 100 Million Meals campaign is considered as one of the most important global initiatives. The high-level humanitarian effort is aimed at urging the world to act to fight hunger and destitution.