MBRGI pledges 60.6 million dirhams in support of forcibly displaced people

The announcement came during the Global Refugee Forum, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from December 12 to 15, and co-organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the Government of Switzerland, in which MBRGI participated.

Of the MBRGI commitment, around Dh37 million will fund UNHCR humanitarian aid projects and sustainable development interventions in 8 countries, namely Armenia, Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tunisia, in addition to 5.5 million dirhams which will facilitate the support and relief projects for Sudanese refugees in Chad, focusing on addressing healthcare, water and sanitation needs in refugee camps.

An additional allocation of more than Dh18 million will be allocated to the World Food Program (WFP) to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of MBRGI, said: “MBRGI continues to implement humanitarian aid and relief campaigns to support vulnerable and forcibly displaced populations around the world, in line with the visions and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to alleviate the suffering of those in need and empower them to face the difficult conditions whether in their home countries or host countries.”

He added: “MBRGI’s pledge of Dh60.6 million in support of UNHCR and WFP projects over the next year reflects its deep commitment to harnessing all capabilities and expertise in the area of ​​humanitarian aid and relief in support of the UN’s efforts to provide urgent aid. needs of forcibly displaced people, including food, medical care and shelter.”

Saeed Al Eter, Deputy Secretary-General of MBRGI, said: “Since its launch in 2015, MBRGI has strived to provide humanitarian aid and relief to disadvantaged populations, which is evident in all its humanitarian and charitable initiatives and projects across all pillars. . Beneficiaries of MBRGI humanitarian aid projects numbered 150.8 million people worldwide.

“Today more than ever, the world needs to come together to help forcibly displaced people, whose number has skyrocketed to 114 million people worldwide. These unprecedented numbers require international organizations to take a new approach to address this challenge. This requires a high level of cooperation between governments and humanitarian agencies to share expertise and fund projects to provide food, shelter, education and healthcare,” Al Eter added.

He noted that MBRGI’s new Dh60.6 million pledge in support of UNHCR is “an extension of a long-standing and fruitful partnership” as they signed several agreements that helped provide direct food aid to refugees, asylum seekers and internally. displaced people in several countries.

Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR Representative to the GCC, praised MBRGI’s pledge to provide Dh60.6 million over the next year to support forcibly displaced populations.

“To address the challenges refugees face, we must work together. Millions of refugees live on the frontlines of climate change and are fleeing due to worsening conflict and scarcity of resources, including food. Many forcibly displaced families struggle to get the next meal for their families. Therefore, we greatly appreciate the commitment of the MBRGI, which will strengthen our ability to help those in need, whether by providing food aid directly or helping them learn how to grow their crops through sustainable livelihood projects,” he said.

The Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest international meeting on refugee issues and brings together United Nations Member States with relevant stakeholders, international and local organisations, civil society, financial institutions, academia and industry. private. The second GRF meets in Geneva from 13 to 15 December 2023, providing an opportunity to build on and highlight the progress made by governments and other stakeholders towards the implementation of the commitments and initiatives announced at the first GRF in 2019. Also provides a platform for participants to announce new commitments and share learnings to inform and inspire greater sharing of responsibilities and facilitate comprehensive responses.