UAE’s humanitarian assistance, including long-term aid for refugees and displaced people, amounted to Dh4.48 billion ($1.23 billion) in the three-year period between 2015 and July 2017, a report said.

This aid contributed to saving lives, reducing suffering, and maintaining and protecting human dignity, during and after crises and emergency situations, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency.

The UAE’s humanitarian aid is not limited to providing financial support, but it also includes the martyrdom of humanitarian workers, who gave their lives during their work in Afghanistan and Yemen.

The UAE’s overall humanitarian assistance has been concentrated in eight main areas, most notably its provision of humanitarian relief assistance that amounted to Dh2.19 billion, accounting for nearly half of its total humanitarian aid, or 49 percent, during the three-year period.

Food aid for humanitarian emergencies came in second, totalling Dh1.07 billion or 24 percent of its total aid, while 73 percent was also allocated to alleviating suffering during severe crises that affected certain countries, most notably Yemen, whose share of humanitarian assistance reached Dh2.011 billion, or 44.9 percent, which was distributed to several Yemeni governorates.

A total of Dh1.03 billion was also channelled to the Syrian crisis, equivalent to 23 percent of UAE’s assistance during the same period, especially to support refugee camps. The combined ratio of the two countries amounted to 67.9 percent of the UAE’s total assistance fund, while the total value of humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people reached Dh548.1 million, and Dh95.1 million went to Somalia.

In addition to relief and food aid, the health sector has also been supported with aid amounting to Dh312.5 million, and shelter assistance and non-food items amounted to Dh 150.9 million while water and sanitation assistance in emergency cases and security protection aid amounted to Dh45.03 million and Dh1.2 million respectively. Humanitarian aid accounted for about 10 percent of the UAE's total foreign aid.