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UAE urged to join
UN’s aid system

Ranked among the top donors of aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan, the UAE has set a good example for other GCC countries, he said. He, however, feels that there is a huge potential of getting humanitarian aid from the region since majority of the countries are wealthy.

“The countries in the region can contribute more by responding to appeals and this can also be recognised in the wider international UN reports,” said Jens Laerke, External Relations and Public Information Officer for the regional branch of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in an interview.

“The UAE has always been a traditional donor reaching out to those in need in its own way. The country has been donating through, for example, the UAE Red Crescent, but now we are increasingly looking at a multilateral system by feeding into appeals launched by different UN organisations,” he said.

As of September 27, the United States takes the lead by pledging a sum of $340 million in response to a UN-backed flash appeal of $2 billion for Pakistan Floods Emergency Response Plan (August 2010-July 2011). This includes total humanitarian assistance per donor including for the appeal.

Following the US are the private sector, including individuals and organizations, with $284 million and Saudi Arabia with $242million, as compiled by OCHA on the basis of information provided by donors and appealing organisations. The UAE has committed $6 million.

According the UAE’s Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA), as of September 7, the UAE government, in collaboration with the UAE foreign aid sector, launched a six-day appeal to raise funds for Pakistan flood victims and raised Dh85 million.

The appeal titled “Awnakum” (Your help) was organised under the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the UAE Red Crescent Authority. The UAE Armed Forces have also provided support, airlifting flood victims in Pakistan.

According to OCFA’s statistics, the UAE government has pledged Dh18 million, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Charitable Foundation Dh14 million, UAE Red Crescent Dh9 million, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment Dh500,000 and Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries — Julphar Dh478,000, making it a grand total of Dh42 million.

The OCHA, unlike the UNHCR and UNICEF, only coordinates the delivery of the mandate. “It’s very simple,” says Laerke. “During a disaster, there are hundreds of thousands of organisations on the ground, all specialising in different areas,” he explained.

“There is a need to identify gaps and coordinate between these groups to ultimately benefit those who need help using simple practical methods.”

The OCHA responds to the situation by setting up an emergency database on what organisation is offering what on the ground, and streamlines the delivery of aid. The recent appeal for Pakistan that has been revised to $2billion from the initial appeal of $459 million for 483 projects by 15 UN bodies covers an overall long-term strategy that, after saving lives, will help rebuild livelihood and avert a possible food crisis, said Laerke. “This has to be done as soon as possible.”

The floods in Pakistan have affected more than 20 million people, devastated an area larger than England, killed more than 1,700 people and damaged/destroyed nearly 1.9 million homes.

Previously, the largest natural disaster appeal was issued earlier this year for Haiti, which sought $1,488,095,210. This year, over $11 billion is required for humanitarian appeals worldwide, the largest amount sought since the beginning of the appeal process in 1991.

Laerke says that though donations in kind are welcome, they may not be the best way. “What is collected may not be necessarily needed. Besides, there is a huge overhead cost which means additional money,” he said.

“Money can provide things locally in a way revitalising the economy and working in a dual way,” he adds, asking NGOs to consider routing their donation through the OCHA to ensure transparency and a better-coordinated relief effort. The OCHA’s liaison office based in the Humanitarian City deals with the government and also facilitates contact with the regional office in Cairo.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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