Hind bint Maktoum: The UAE will emerge stronger, thanks to the devotion and loyalty of its citizens and residents

10 million meals campaign draws 14 million meals in two weeks
Hind bint Maktoum: The UAE will emerge stronger, thanks to the devotion and loyalty of its citizens and residents

The UAE’s biggest food distribution drive to continue supporting coronavirus-hit communities throughout Ramadan

• Hind bint Maktoum: The ’10 million meals’ campaign marks another milestone in Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s inspiring and continuous journey of giving.
• Hind bint Maktoum: We need to come together to safeguard and empower those affected by the current circumstances until they return to their normal lives.
• Hind bint Maktoum: The UAE’s humanitarian efforts are dedicated to everyone.
• 100 nationalities contribute to ‘10 million meals’ campaign
• Corporate donations exceed 5.4 million meals
• Humanitarian and charity organizations contribute 5.6 million meals.
• Online donations amount to 1.5 million meals
• SMS donations secure 645,662 meals
• In-kind donation reach 901,000 meals
• Over 3.9 million meals distributed since in first 13 days of Ramadan
• World’s Tallest Donation Box provides new platform to support the ’10 million meals’ campaign through illuminating Burj Khalifa’s 1.2 million lights to provide 1.2 meals
• 588,464 lights beaming bright on Burj Khalifa in less than a week from the World’s Tallest Donation Box launch
• Financial and in-kind donations to the ’10 million meals’ campaign are received through website, SMS, bank account and call center

Overwhelming donations secured 14 million meals for families and individuals affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the UAE as the ’10 million meals’ campaign finishes its second week.

Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of UAE Food Bank, reaffirmed that the outstanding response from individuals and entities to support the ’10 million meals’ campaign throughout Ramadan is a true manifestation of the UAE’s social solidarity and cohesion.

She noted that “the ’10 million meals’ campaign marks another milestone in Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s inspiring and continuous journey of giving.”

Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum said, “we are confident that the UAE will continue overcoming every challenge and difficulty it faces, like it did since its foundation, with the support of its cohesive and diverse society of citizens and residents.” She added, “The UAE will emerge stronger, thanks to the devotion and loyalty of its citizens and residents who extend their support to our leaders to ensure public safety and wellbeing.”

She noted that the overwhelming support to the ’10 million meals’ campaign reflects the noble values of coexistence, solidarity and compassion that the UAE society has taken from the country’s founders. She said leaders have long placed people as the top priority in every challenge they succeeded to overcome throughout history.

She emphasized that the UAE’s human capital of citizens and residents has led the country to the forefront in many sectors. Therefore, safeguarding the nation’s most valuable resource comes at the forefront.

“The UAE’s humanitarian efforts are dedicated to everyone. The different kinds of support offered to the ’10 million meals’ campaign reflect the public’s core belief that unity, harmony and coexistence are the best solution to overcome these exceptional times. We need to come together to safeguard and empower those affected by the current circumstances until they return to their normal lives with greater productivity and determination once the crisis comes to an end.”

The ’10 million meals’ campaign will continue receiving donations to provide food support for communities hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in the UAE throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

Since Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s announcement of the campaign earlier in April, companies, humanitarian organizations, businessmen, government and private entities and the general public have rushed to make financial or in-kind donations towards providing meals or food parcels to support low-income individuals and families.

Donations are pouring for the ’10 million meals’ campaign through the official website, SMS, bank transfer and call center.

Under the supervision of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19, meals and food parcels were delivered in a logistical distribution network developed in collaboration with partnering entities to reach beneficiaries across the country.

In numbers

Donations of entrepreneurs and prominent businessmen collectively secured 710,000 meals, while companies pledged a total of 4.6 million meals, bringing the total corporate donations to 5.4 million meals.

Humanitarian and charity organizations’ donations will provide 5.6 million meals.

Online donations secured 1.5 million meals, while SMS donations helped provide 645,662 meals in the campaign’s first two weeks. In-kind donations received through the campaign’s call center totaled 901,000 meals to date.

The campaign distributed more than 3.9 million meals during the first 13 days of Ramadan, constituting over 3.1 million meals and 14,000 food parcels- equivalent to 800,000 meals. An average of 300,000 meals are distributed daily to labourers and low-income families.

The World’s Tallest Donation Box

Earlier this week, the MBRGI launched the World’s Tallest Donation Box, in collaboration with Burj Khalifa, as a new platform to secure 1.2 million meals to the’10 million meals’ campaign by illuminating Burj Khalifa’s 1.2 million lights.

Since the initiative’s launch on Saturday, corporate and individual donations spanning 100 nationalities have lit 588,464 pixels on Burj Khalifa, in a message of hope and solidarity for the most vulnerable to the economic and humanitarian challenges posed by the global pandemic.

The innovative initiative enables the public, companies and entities to buy lights of Burj Khalifa, for as little as Dh10 each, to help provide meals for covid-19-hit communities in the UAE, with the goal to illuminate the 1.2 million lights of the world’s tallest tower one pixel at a time.

Every light purchased for Dh10 through the website www.tallestdonationbox.com provides one meal to someone in need.

Network

The overarching MBRGI oversees the ’10 million meals’ campaign in collaboration with the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19, which was launched in April by the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) in Dubai to support the country’s efforts in combating the coronavirus outbreak.

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

An integrated plan was put in place to gather numbers and addresses of low-income individuals and families and those most vulnerable to the impact of the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic across the UAE in a database.

The campaign’s different teams manage food catering, sterilization, packaging, loading and transport, leading up to the nationwide distribution.

Food is distributed through a large-scale network partnering entities, each with an assigned role, to reach beneficiaries across the UAE.

Ensuring public safety

The Dubai Police has taken up an active role in ensuring public safety at the food distribution points, while overseeing the ’10 million meals’ campaign operations on ground.

His Excellency Lieutenant General Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said the security forces are taking logistical precautions and health requirements at all the food distribution sites to ensure an effective and smooth process. 

He added, “Beneficiaries have been cooperative with all organizations responsible of executing the campaign. It helps us fulfill our duties to the fullest and ensure delivering a successful campaign that will be added to the record of the UAE’s humanitarian initiatives that benefitted its people efficiently during these exceptional times.”

Public awareness

His Excellency Saeed Al Eter, Assistant Secretary General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said, “The nationwide engagement with the ’10 million meals’ campaign reflect the deeply-rooted values of giving and social responsibility in the public awareness in the UAE. The outstanding response to help the vulnerable demonstrates the cohesion and social solidarity that forms the UAE’s core fabric and constitutes the priorities of its national agenda, placing the country as a global model for tolerance and coexistence.”

He noted that the contribution of people from over 100 nationalities reflects the campaign’s global dimension inspired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision to unite efforts towards serving a good cause.

Al Eter noted that Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum’s direct supervision on every stage of the campaign has encouraged everyone to offer all kinds of support either through donations or logistical support on field.

Integrated plan

Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Charitable Work Sector at IACAD, said the Department coordinates the distribution process with different humanitarian organizations, forming specialized work teams to ensure wide-reaching food delivery to people in need across the UAE. An integrated smart platform was launched to allocate beneficiaries across the country and track distribution in coordination with partnering food suppliers, transport services and a wide network of volunteers.

Beating hunger

His Excellency Ibrahim Mohammed Bu Melha, Advisor of the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MBRCH, said the Establishment’s financial and logistical support to the campaign forms part of its role as a main partner that oversees the phases of implementation and coordinates donations and meal distributions.

“Our goal is to ensure reaching all people in need across the UAE so no one goes hungry, especially as they mark the holy month of Ramadan at home facing such difficult times,” said Bu Melha.

Safety for the vulnerable

As another main partner of the campaign, the UAE Food Bank collects in-kind donations before distributing it to beneficiaries in an integrated logistical network of partnering entities.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank and Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the Bank manages the call center that receives the in-kind donations for the campaign. It also coordinates food preparations with catering companies, ensuring that safety guidelines are met through the cooking process.

Development starts with people

His Excellency Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar, Director General of the Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA), said social services that support the vulnerable is central to CDA’s work. He said, “Through our contribution to the ’10 million meals’ campaign, we are unifying our efforts with other entities to fulfill our responsibility towards society and provide food support for low-income communities who are most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.”

He noted, “Any society’s development begins with granting its people the safety and security and fulfilling their basic life necessities.”

Together in solidarity

Dar Al Ber Society provides financial donations to secure meals and food parcels for the ’10 million meals’ campaign as it joins efforts with other humanitarian and charity organizations in the country.

His Excellency Khalfan Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Dar Al Ber Society, said, “The pandemic has affected everyone around the world. These difficult times have shown the cohesion and solidarity of the UAE society as people joined hands and responded to the call for help to support the vulnerable among them.”

For everyone

Beit Al Khair Society supports the campaign’s various distribution operations, besides offering contributions that help secure meals and food parcels to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Abdeen Taher Al Awadi, General Manager of Beit Al Khair Society, said, “The campaign has established an integrated network that enabled social and economic entities to harness their resources for the service of humanity, irrespective of race or color.” He added, “The campaign manifests the UAE’s capability to turn challenges into opportunities.”

Target exceeded

Tarahum Charity Foundation provides financial and logistical support to the ’10 million meals’ campaign in collaboration with the IACAD’s Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19 and other humanitarian organizations.

Khalid Al Qasim, Chief of the Board of Directors of Tarahum Charity Foundation, said, the Foundation’s contribution to the campaign comes as part of the UAE’s efforts to combat economic, social and humanitarian impact of Covid-19 pandemic, especially on the vulnerable. “The ’10 million meals’ campaign has succeeded in encouraging all social sectors to actively lend a helping hand at these difficult times, exceeding the campaign’s target of meals and food parcels within a just one week from its launch to secure food for the rest of the holy month.”

Sectors

Massive donations were received from different public and private sectors including the community service sector, the hospitality sector, catering companies, F&B services, water suppliers, fruit and vegetable suppliers, investment companies, banking and financial services sector, real estate establishments, and medical and healthcare facilities.

Unique donations

The campaign’s call center received massive in-kind donations that went beyond food items and parcels, showing keenness of all segments of the society to contribute with their best resources.

Unique donations that enriched the diversity of donated food included ice cream, tea packs, juice boxes and tonnes of fruits like bananas, apples and dates, as well as millions of water bottles to be added to meals distributed to low-income individuals and families.

A social movement

The ‘10 million meals’ campaign is the UAE’s biggest community campaign, that aims to provide food assistance to families and individuals who have lost their income or got affected directly or indirectly by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic.

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. Donors can also make in-kind contributions by providing food items and parcels for distribution to hard-hit families and individuals in the challenging circumstances that left many facing unemployment or income reductions. 

The campaign aims to create a sustainable network of social support and solidarity in the UAE through bringing together all segments of the society to provide food supplies to the vulnerable, therefore, fostering a sense of safety and stability.  It coincides with the Holy Month of Ramadan, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to lending a helping hand to every person in need. The campaign fosters the values of generosity and compassion, key aspects of the blessed month.