International Humanitarian City (IHC) is a

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

, based global hub for humanitarian emergency preparedness and response, which positions itself as the world's largest aid hub. Founded in 2003 by the Ruler of Dubai,

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...

, it is a major logistics centre for the international distribution of humanitarian aid and relief, with over 130,000 square metres of warehousing and logistical support facilities. IHC is a UAE free zone and is near

Dubai Industrial City Dubai Industrial City is the dedicated industrial park in Dubai, UAE, founded in 2004, covering an area of 560 million Sq ft. Overview The Industrial City includes food and beverage zones, base-metal and transportation zones, warehouses and an ex ...

to the southwest.

Global aid

IHC hosts nine

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

agencies and more than 85

NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

and commercial entities engaged in delivering aid both in humanitarian crises and to support long-term economic development. It is home to UNHCR's global stockpile of humanitarian aid. IHC is one of three organisations, together with

Emirates Emirates may refer to: * United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country * Emirate, any territory ruled by an emir ** Gulf emirates, emirates located on the Persian Gulf ** Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, the individual emirates * The Emirat ...

and

DP World DP World is an Emirati multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. Formed in 2005 by the merger of Dubai Ports Auth ...

, behind the Vaccine Logistics Alliance, which supports the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

's (WHO)

COVAX COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Hea ...

initiative and its efforts to distribute two billion doses of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

vaccines in 2021. As of July 2021, 150 million doses had been distributed to 80 global destinations from IHC via Emirates.

Logistics hub

IHC members have procured and shipped aid from the IHC hub to cope with the ongoing civil conflicts in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, flood recovery and educational projects in Pakistan, and recurring drought in East Africa as well as COVID-19 related assistance to Africa. A key shipment of aid was made from the UN hub at IHC to

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, when 20 tonnes of aid was sent in a flight donated by the United Arab Emirates for relief following the 2020 Beirut port blast, one of three shipments supported by the

(WHO) and

International Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

. In 2014, a total of 21 airlifts took place from IHC to assist the

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

population of Gaza, funded by Mohammed bin Rashid and supported by

UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...

. International Humanitarian City operates under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).

References

{{Reflist

External links

IHC official website

UN Project Supplies
2003 establishments in the United Arab Emirates Economy of Dubai Geography of Dubai Free-trade zones of the United Arab Emirates Humanitarian aid United Nations

Global aid

Logistics hub

See also

References

External links