International Day of Charity: UAE’s global humanitarian role praised by UNICEF

Abu Dhabi: The UAE will join the world tomorrow in marking the International Day of Charity, observed annually on September 5.

The occasion highlights the importance of global solidarity in addressing crises, supporting healthcare, education and housing services, and protecting vulnerable communities facing hardship.

The commemoration seeks to encourage collective action to help the needy, strengthen social responsibility among individuals and institutions, and promote cooperation across society. It also underlines the importance of extending assistance in all its forms to those most in need.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) affirmed in media remarks that its long-standing partnership with the UAE continues to positively impact the lives of children and families worldwide.

“Through its government and people, the UAE has been a steadfast supporter of UNICEF, extending its role beyond national borders to back our programmes in areas of need, poverty, and conflict. This has included urgent humanitarian relief and vital assistance,” UNICEF said.

The UAE’s commitment to charity is rooted in Islamic principles and universal human values, fostering international solidarity and humanitarian cooperation. Since the time of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, philanthropy has been a national ethos — providing for humanity without distinction of race, religion, or nationality.

Today, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE continues to prioritise humanitarian initiatives and uphold this legacy of generosity.

In a statement, UNICEF stressed the significance of this year’s International Day of Charity, noting its mission to protect the rights of children, particularly the most deprived in hard-to-reach areas across more than 190 countries and territories.

It highlighted that such efforts are made possible through strong partnerships with governments, the private sector, international and local organisations, and charitable foundations. The UAE, it said, has played a particularly effective role and stands as a model of cooperation.

UNICEF pointed to the UAE’s pivotal role in its polio vaccination campaign in Gaza. Backed by the Mohamed bin Zayed Humanitarian Initiatives Foundation and other partners, the UAE provided crucial financial and logistical support across three rounds, the most recent in February 2025, reaching nearly 603,000 children under 10 with oral polio vaccines.

The UAE also serves as a hub for life-saving supplies dispatched from its warehouses. In 2024, it supported emergency shipments of medical and surgical supplies to Lebanon, assisting thousands of families during the crisis.

Between 2020 and 2022, the UAE helped deliver COVID-19 vaccines and protective equipment worldwide, followed by aid for families affected by the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye.

Just this week, emergency shipments of medicines and hygiene kits were sent to Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake in the country’s northeast.

Since its founding in 1971 up to the end of 2024, the UAE has provided $100 billion in foreign assistance, benefitting more than one billion people across 206 countries.

Around 80% of this support was developmental aid, underscoring the UAE’s role as a leading global responder to humanitarian crises and a driver of socio-economic development.

As the world observes the International Day of Charity, the UAE continues to lead efforts to aid victims of wars, conflicts, and disasters. Its leadership has consistently called for stronger cooperation among individuals, governments, international organisations and civil society to strengthen humanitarian action and advance sustainable development.

Guided by the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE remains committed to global solidarity and empowering communities through sustainable projects that save lives and uplift millions worldwide.