HRH Princess Haya Applauds UAE Generosity Following US$7 Million Pledged To Rohingya Refugees
“Dubai’s big heart never ceases to amaze and inspire me”
Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein posted a picture on Facebook on Thursday showing aid at International Humanitarian City in Dubai, ready to be transported to Rohingya refugees.
The image was accompanied by a caption explaining that seven planes have carried 640 tons of relief to over 130,000 refugees, with more to come. She added: “Dubai’s big heart never ceases to amaze and inspire me.”
This follows a US$7 million pledge from the UAE to help Rohingya people at the Pledging Conference for Refugee Crisis, held in Geneva. “The UAE government will continue to operate relief airlifts and provide aid workers in addition to the efforts of @IHC.UAE. The conference was a great opportunity for governments to show their solidarity and share the burden and responsibility for the #Rohingy,” Princess Haya wrote.
Over the weekend the UAE royal posted: “So many people have reached out to me after yesterday’s post about the aid to #Rohingya. I feel blessed to be one of many who work for a leadership that is able to be generous and never fails to reach out a helping hand.
“I am so proud of the fact that the UAE spends more on aid to develop other countries, compared to its wealth, than any other nation on earth. The UAE has come so far, but has never forgotten what it feels like to struggle, and this memory informs the generosity and dedication of its leadership and people.”
The urgent need for aid comes after 600,000 people from the Muslim minority in Rakhine, Myanmar, had to flee their homes to Bangladesh to escape violence.
Last week Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan spoke passionately about the struggle faced by Rohingya refugees. “I’ve heard family members telling me how they’ve seen their own parents killed, right before their eyes,” she said.
As well as highlighting acts of violence, she explained that although they have found safety “their plight is not over.” Many are not getting enough food and over 95 per cent don’t have access to safe water.