UAE shines as a saviour in Afghanistan’s darkest hour

In what can be termed as one of the most challenging crises for humanity, the UAE and its leaders have stepped up on the front line to help Afghan refugees in need. UAE was one of the first nations to come forward in providing their national carriers to enable rescue operations through the UAE airports as well as the use of their airport ground facilities, accelerating evacuation of close to 40,000 people, including foreign embassy officials, non-government support staff and Afghan nationals.

This includes thousands of civilians who have fled their homeland to seek refuge and asylum in international countries and those who need assistance in getting to their final destination. The UAE is one among the many countries that have agreed to host them and ensure they receive all the necessary care and help.

In addition to playing an active part in the civilian rescue and repatriation efforts from Afghanistan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, has also introduced a programme for refugees that aims at providing adequate housing facilities, especially to Afghan women and children, and social care to all evacuees who have landed in the UAE, ensuring they receive the safety, security and dignity they deserve after having faced their ordeal.

Moreover, under his directive, the UAE continues to deepen its assistance with an around-the-clock air bridge to Afghanistan through multiple planes that have successfully airlifted urgent medical aid and food essentials required to meet the basic needs of thousands of Afghan families. Through this humanitarian act of extending support to the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan, which includes women, children and the elderly, the UAE is ensuring they leave no stone unturned when it comes to promoting the values of the Late founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The UAE has also welcomed 41 Afghan evacuees en-route to Canada, on humanitarian grounds and hosted them at the Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi, providing them with quality housing, sanitation, food and medical requirements. This includes members of the Afghan girls’ cycling and robotic teams, as well as human rights activists and their families who are considered to be at high risk.

But this is not something that the UAE has started doing of late. From as early as 2001, when the war started ravaging Afghanistan, UAE was always at the forefront in providing significant aid to the civilian population in the country through the Red Crescent and its armed forces.

A majority of these efforts have taken shape in foreign lands of the UAE allies. This includes a refugee camp built by the UAE in Pakistan which housed over 10,000 refugees and supported them with essential commodities and a fully functional hospital to take care of their sick. Then came the Sheikh Zayed housing project which facilitated 200 families with accommodation, mosque, schools and medical centres. During the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan, the UAE yet again came forward to support by constructing housing developments, schools and universities, medical facilities and mosques to ensure the progress of Afghanistan and its people.

Among the recent projects is the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan city in Kabul, which is financed by the UAE, offers residential housing with more than 3,300 apartments.

The UAE has always been identified as a country that stands in solidarity with nations in need and has also been ranked among the top countries that are swift in providing foreign aid. In fact, ever since the UAE was founded back in 1971, the country has donated over $ 87 bn towards humanitarian efforts.

It was the founding father of the nation, late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Nahyan vision that helping people in need is a duty, and he ensured this led the foreign policy of the UAE. While new leaders have now taken over the reign, they continue to follow in his footsteps and carry forward UAE’s long policy of extending their helping hands to those in need, which today includes Afghanistan, until the country regains stability.