UAE on the front line to support Afghan refugees

The government under the direction of the Crown Prince has decided to receive and support thousands of Afghan refugees. Since the beginning of the war in 2001, the UAE has always provided humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in a large amount.

During recent days, the government of UAE, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, decided to house Afghan women and children, forced to leave their country due to the recent political development.

Indeed, thousands of Afghans, frightened by the Taliban's seizure of power, and fearing for the lives of their families and their own fled and sought refuge in many countries that agreed to host them. Among these the UAE has been of considerable help.

This decision has to be considered the natural consequence of the UAE's long policy of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.

Since the beginning of the latest crisis the UAE were also crucial in organizing and supporting the evacuation operations to other countries for other allowing the use of UAE airports and national carriers.

Thanks to this more than 40,000 Afghans and foreign nationals have been evacuated.
The history of the UAE has been characterized by solidarity with struggling countries. Indeed, the UAE is ranked as a top foreign aid donor by all global observers. Since the foundation of the country in 1971, the UAE has donated more than $87 billion to promote humanitarian development.

Especially in Afghanistan, since 2003, shortly after the US invasion, the UAE through the Red Crescent and its armed forces provided significant humanitarian contribution. The UAE armed forces, guided by the principle of helping brotherly people and providing safety and stability, have been extending their helping hands to Afghanistan for years.

During these years UAE built a refugee camp that housed more than 10,000 refugees in the Chaman region of Pakistan and supplied it with all essential commodities and a modern hospital. This followed the Sheikh Zayed housing project for 200 families with the necessary facilities such as a mosque, two schools and a medical center.

Even during the reconstruction of the country, the UAE has provided constant support building dozens of schools, six medical centres, at least 40 mosques, a university among many other vital projects aimed at improving the lives of the Afghan people.

The UAE also financed the recently completed construction of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan city, a massive residential housing project that consists of more than 3,300 apartments in Kabul.

The founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed stated that helping those in need is a duty. This principle has always guided the foreign policy of the country.

Today, this noble legacy continues. Since the beginning of the recent crisis, the UAE made it clear that it will extend all necessary help to the Afghan people in these difficult and uncertain times. And that role will continue until Kabul regains calm and stability. What these events show us is that the UAE will always be at the forefront to help friends in need.

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