UAE raises AED2.82 billion for global hunger relief as food trade hits $41bn

The UAE has expanded its global food security portfolio through a series of multi-billion dirham humanitarian and technological initiatives, anchored by the ‘Edge of Life’ campaign which raised AED2.822 billion to combat child malnutrition. The funding, confirmed on Friday, 16 October, follows the UAE’s election to the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board for the 2026–2028 term. Global humanitarian funding and logistics The ‘Edge of Life’ campaign, launched in February 2026, exceeded its initial AED1 billion target nearly threefold with contributions from over 44,000 donors. In a major operational expansion, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) partnered with UNICEF and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation in a US$300 million (AED1.1 billion) agreement to scale life-saving nutrition programmes worldwide. Beyond financial grants, the UAE leveraged its logistics infrastructure to move physical supplies. DP World, in coordination with the WFP, transported 5,000 metric tonnes of rice to Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Direct state grants included US$20 million for conflict-affected populations in Sudan and US$8 million for Chad to mitigate El Niño-related food shortages. Emergency food aid also continued to reach the Gaza Strip via land, sea, and air under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. Agricultural innovation and climate resilience The UAE is increasingly linking food security to climate action, a move driven by…