The United Arab Emirates has provided humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka following devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, which killed over 600 people and affected two million.
UAE sent eight aid planes, delivering over 116 tonnes of relief supplies such as food parcels, shelter materials, medical kits, and essential items.
Teams from the Joint Operations Command, UAE Aid Agency, Emirates Red Crescent and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence conducted search-and-rescue operations, recovering 18 bodies and providing medical aid to eight victims on the ground.
Following the compassionate gesture, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, yesterday received a telephone call from Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, extending gratitude to the UAE for its assistance to his countrymen.
The support comes just a week after the United Nations, during a high profile forum in Dubai, issued a $23 billion (Sh3 trillion) appeal to assist 87 million people facing wars, natural disasters, epidemics and acute food shortages in the coming year.
During the forum, the UAE had immediately announced a $550 million (Sh71 billion) pledge to the UN’s 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview.
The UAE’s donation to the UN will deliver lifeline support to 135 million individuals across 50 countries worldwide, as the United States sharply cuts down its financial contributions to the world humanitarian body. For many African nations, including Kenya which continues to battle recurrent droughts, displacement and hunger in its arid northern and eastern regions, the UAE’s commitment is timely.
“The UAE continues its steadfast commitment to supporting global humanitarian efforts and working with our UN partners to ensure access to aid for those most impacted,” declared Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, during the launch.
The event, which drew an array of global heavyweights, was graced by Standard Group CEO Chaacha Mwita alongside keynote speakers including Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
This year’s GHO update unfolds against the backdrop of severe funding shortfalls, with UN humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher revealing that the 2025 appeal scraped together just $12 billion – the lowest total in a decade. This dire shortfall compelled aid agencies to scale back assistance to 25 million fewer people than in prior years, exacerbating crises in fragile regions worldwide.
“This pledge embodies the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and reflects our profound belief in the necessity of international solidarity in responding to urgent humanitarian appeals,” emphasised Minister Al Hashimy, underscoring the UAE’s deepening role as a global humanitarian powerhouse.
