Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, his wife Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of UAE Food Bank, launched ’10 million meals’ campaign, the nation’s biggest food distribution drive, to support low-income families and individuals affected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak across the UAE.

The nationwide campaign, which coincides with the approach of the Holy Month of Ramadan, enables the public, entities, companies, businessmen, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to make a financial donation towards purchasing cooked meals and food supplies or provide food items and parcels for distribution among hard-hit families and individuals in the challenging circumstances that left many unemployed and others with limited income.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) will oversee the campaign in collaboration with the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “the ‘10 million meals’ campaign aims to reinforce social solidarity and cohesion in the UAE to enable us to emerge from the global crisis stronger.” He added, “The public, private and humanitarian sectors are united today to empower our people to overcome the global crisis without leaving anyone behind.”

He reaffirmed that “Sheikha Hind’s compassion and humanitarian efforts make her a widely-admired and loved figure in our society. She will be the best to lead the humanitarian campaign during these challenging times.”

“Sheikha Hind will lead the noble cause of feeding the hungry throughout the Holy month of Ramadan in our nation, the nation of giving and peace.”

He noted, “Crises reveal the true values of people, entities and societies. The ongoing crisis has revealed our country’s authenticity and deeply-rooted spirit of giving.”

He said, “The ’10 million meals’ campaign complements the rest of the country’s humanitarian campaigns to ensure no one sleeps hungry or in need in the UAE.” He added, “Providing food for everyone, especially with the approach of the Holy Month of Ramadan, is our priority during our battle against the pandemic.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum concluded, “The efforts of UAE’s humanitarian organizations have benefitted people across the world. Working as one team will make us stronger.”

Extending appreciation, Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, said “Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s directives to launch the campaign reflects part of his long and ongoing inspirational humanitarian journey.”

She added, “The ’10 million meals’ campaign serves a noble cause that captures our society’s authenticity and humanity, especially in times of crisis.”

She reaffirmed, “The UAE has demonstrated resilience and generosity during crises. Feeding the hungry throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan allows us to practice compassion and kindness in this blessed month to overcome exceptional times united in peace.”

Ways to contribute
Interested donors can visit the website www.10millionmeals.ae to make a purchase of a preferred number of meals to be distributed to disadvantaged individuals and families.

Corporates and individuals can also send donations through SMS (Etisalat and Du) to numbers listed on the website or deposit the preferred amount to Dubai Islamic Bank with account number AE430240001580857000001.

People also have the chance to donate packaged or canned food supplies or arrange food parcels for distribution through directly contacting the campaign’s organizing team on the free toll number 8004006.

As part of the campaign, the team will ensure distributing food parcels to families and cooked meals to laborers throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan. In collaboration with partnering food suppliers and catering companies, meals will be prepared in accordance with the UAE Food Bank safety guidelines.

The UAE Food Bank, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, and UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE) will carry out the ’10 million meals’ campaign in collaboration with ministries, federal and local entities and humanitarian and charitable organizations in the UAE.

The three entities, which fall under the umbrella of MBRGI, are tasked with receiving donations and technical and logistical support requests, creating an integrated and wide-ranging distribution network with partnering entities to ensure an efficient food delivery mechanism to beneficiaries across the UAE.

The collaboration will help humanitarian organizations exchange information to build a comprehensive database of disadvantaged communities in need for assistance, ensuring a wide-reaching distribution.    
The overarching MBRGI will oversee the ’10 million meals’ campaign in collaboration with the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19, which was launched earlier this month by the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai to support the country’s efforts in combating the coronavirus outbreak.

10 million meals.. more than just a campaign
The ‘10 million meals’ campaign aims to strengthen the sense of community and social cohesion in the UAE through encouraging people to come together and provide food assistance to disadvantaged families and individuals affected by the global coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak that has left many facing unemployment and major income reductions. The campaign strives to foster the sense of stability and safety among the vulnerable, reflecting UAE’s commitment to safeguard and preserve the dignity of every person living on its land and implementing the key principle of nurturing the nation’s most valuable resource that drives progress and development: the human capital.

The campaign was launched in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the biggest threat facing humanity in decades, which caused a paralleled major health crisis that paralyzed medical facilities across the world. The crisis has numerous economic and social repercussions, negatively impacting the global humanitarian scene, particularly vulnerable and underprivileged communities across the world.  

Coinciding with the approach of the Holy Month of Ramadan, the campaign strives to foster the values of generosity and benevolence and reinforcing the culture of solidarity and compassion, key aspects of the holy month, embedded in the core fabric of the UAE. The campaign reflects the UAE’s commitment to lending a helping hand to every person in need during crises.    

Besides reaching out for the public, inviting entities, companies, businessmen and entrepreneurs in the UAE to participate in the campaign emphasizes the essential role of the private sector in the country’s journey of humanitarian action and the necessity of implementing Corporate Social Responsibility. The private sector’s role is of particular great importance in these exceptional circumstances that call for unity among different sectors to ensure social cohesion. Involving the public in the campaign also promotes the individual responsibility and recognizes the role of every individual in spreading hope in the UAE.

UAE Food Bank
Launched in 2017 under the umbrella of MBRGI, the UAE Food Bank is dedicated to collecting surplus food from hospitality sectors, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, farms and other related establishments and distributing it to those in need in the UAE and abroad, in coordination with a number of local and international charities. As the first food bank in the UAE, it represents a comprehensive humanitarian, social, economic and cultural ecosystem that aims to eliminate waste while alleviating hunger locally, regionally and internationally. The UAE Food Bank strives to foster the culture of giving in the UAE through involving people from different segments of the society in its programmes and campaigns. It also aims to cement the values of volunteering and social responsibility on an individual and corporate level and establish local, regional and international partnerships to maximize outreach to beneficiaries.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment
Founded since 1997, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment is one of the earliest organizations dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in the UAE and abroad. Since its inception, the Establishment has worked to improve the quality of life in the UAE and around the world, mainly targeting patients, widows, orphans and people in need. It further contributes to the international relief and rescue processes in areas affected by wars and natural disasters, providing the disadvantaged with various forms of aid. The Establishment implements developmental and relief projects, such as health, family empowerment and education-related initiatives as well as infrastructure projects. It works in 68 countries in collaboration with local and international partners.

UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia)
The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) was established in 2015 to implement sustainable water supplying projects and alleviate the suffering of communities living with scarce water resources.

The Foundation provides clean drinking water by drilling wells, distributing water pumps and water purification equipment, and undertaking desalination projects in underprivileged communities. Suqia also runs the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, which encourages innovators, organizations and research centers to compete to find sustainable solar-powered solutions for water scarcity.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) was established in 2015, combining under its umbrella over 30 humanitarian and developmental initiatives and entities, most of which have been launched and supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for more than 20 years.

Under this framework, diverse initiatives, programmes and projects have evolved into established entities that institutionalize humanitarian and developmental work to maximize and sustain positive impact and expand the scope of beneficiaries.

MBRGI’s entities and initiatives are classified under the five main pillars of Humanitarian Aid and Relief, Healthcare and Disease Control, Spreading Education and Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Empowering Communities.  

'Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19'.
The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai launched the 'Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19' as part of facilitating community contributions and donations to efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak in UAE.

The launch of the fund seeks to support the fight against coronavirus in collaboration with government entities, charity associations and members of society. It will help unify efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic and allow all members of society to contribute to emergency efforts, ensuring the health, safety and protection of the overall community.