Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday officially launched the ‘One Billion Meals’ campaign to secure food aid for vulnerable communities in 50 countries.
In a series of tweets, Sheikh Mohammed said: “With Allah’s blessing, the ‘One Billion Meals’, the largest campaign to offer food and fight hunger in 50 countries around the world, kicks off today. Ramadan is the month of fasting in which we feel the suffering of 800 million people who go to bed hungry every day.”
He added: “There is a real humanitarian crisis due to hunger and food security. The One Billion Meals campaign bears the slogan of the Prophet’s saying: ‘He does not believe in me, whosoever sleeps full at the night while his neighbour is hungry’. We have a billion noble humanitarian messages that we want to convey from the UAE to the world.”
What is the campaign?
Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), the campaign is an expansion of the UAE’s previous ‘100 Million Meals’ launched last Ramadan, which raised more than double its target earlier this year to secure food parcels, equivalent to 220 million meals, to the disadvantaged in 47 countries across four continents.
Donors can also opt to donate Dh1 a day through a monthly subscription by sending “Meal” via SMS to 1020 on the du network or 1110 on the Etisalat network. Donations can also be made through campaign’s call center via a toll-free number 8009999.
Through an integrated food supply ecosystem, the One Billion Meals campaign aims to provide sustainable food aid to underserved populations, as part of the UAE’s contributions to global efforts.
The One Billion Meals campaign responds to the global need of providing consistent humanitarian assistance to underserved communities all over the world, supporting efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 that aims to end hunger by 2030.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), said: "Innovative humanitarian initiatives such as One Billion Meals strengthen the UAE’s status as an impactful contributor to international efforts to face humanitarian challenges. The UAE, in line with the directives of its wise leadership, is taking a unique approach to elevate charitable and humanitarian work, and has been able to achieve a qualitative leap in improving relief aid.”
He added: “Giving is an inherent part of Emirati culture, and generosity is a characteristic of the people in the UAE, whose hands are always extended, ready to assist, both inside and outside the country.”
Dying from hunger
Hunger claims a child’s life every 10 seconds in a world where 25,000 people die of hunger daily, of them 10,000 children. Over 800 million people are undernourished globally, 52 million of whom, majority women and children, live in the Middle East and North Africa.
The 100 Million Meals expansion into One Billion Meals presents a grand statement of the UAE’s aspirations in humanitarian aid and firm commitment in developing long-term solutions to improve lives across the world.
Food parcels and vouchers
The campaign provided food support as food parcels and instant smart vouchers to millions of beneficiaries across four continents including Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, Iraq, Egypt, Kosovo, Brazil, Benin, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Angola, Sierra Leone, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
Food parcels are currently being distributed to beneficiaries in collaboration with the UN World Food Programme, the Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN), the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment (MBRCH) and humanitarian organisations in targeted countries. Distribution is set to continue throughout this year until all donated meals are delivered to those in need.
Distributing partners
Key partners in the campaign complemented each other’s distribution efforts, where they accomplished the distribution of 121 million meals within the 100 Million Meals Campaign. WFP distributed 56 million meals to refugees using cutting-edge cash-based transfers that enabled beneficiaries to purchase a range of nutritious foods from local markets. Whereas MBRCH distributed 6.3 million meals, and UNHCR distributed 8 million meals. The remaining meals from the total 216 million donated were distributed by other partners of the campaign within the 47 targeted countries.
The series of food campaigns started with the locally held 10 Million Meals that supported COVID-19-hit communities across the UAE throughout Ramadan in 2020.
As a global philanthropic pioneer, the UAE aims to galvanise global action to combat world hunger, a major humanitarian challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak. Through its humanitarian campaigns, the UAE aims to foster a culture of giving and emphasize the power of collective action in making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The One Billion Meals campaign falls under MBRGI’s Humanitarian Aid and Relief, one of the five pillars of the foundation’s operations that cover Healthcare and Disease Control, Spreading Education and Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Empowering Communities. Besides time-bound humanitarian aid, the MBRGI carries out sustainable development programmes to drive positive change and build a better future for humanity.
