This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM KPAL IZ AF AE
SUBJECT: UAE JOINS UN OCHA DONOR SUPPORT GROUP (ODSG); UAE 
ASSISTANCE PROFILE 
 
REF: A. 04 ABU DHABI 4218 
     ¶B. 05 ABU DHABI 3266 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Already a regional leader in humanitarian 
assistance, the UAE announced at a May 9 conference in Abu 
Dhabi its decision to become the 20th member and the first 
non-Western country to join the UN Office for Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Donor Support Group (ODSG). USAID 
Conference Chairman welcomed the announcement, highlighting 
the "diversity" represented by UAE membership. Message 
profiles UAE international assistance in Iraq, Afghanistan, 
and Palestinian Territories primarily through the UAE Red 
Crescent Society, Sheikh Zayed Foundation, UAE President,s 
Office, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Foundation (Dubai), and the 
Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Agriculture.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.(SBU) The UAE, already a regional leader in humanitarian 
assistance, announced on May 9 that it has become the first 
non-Western country to join the UN Office for Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Donor Support Group (ODSG).  At 
the conclusion of the Regional Partnerships in Humanitarian 
Response UN OCHA Conference on May 9 in Abu Dhabi, UAE Red 
Crescent Board Chairman Khalifa Nasser Al Suweidi announced 
that the UAE would become the 20th member of the ODSG.  USAID 
Conference Chairman William Garvelink warmly welcomed the 
announcement, highlighting the "diversity" and "value added" 
of UAE membership.  In addition to the UAE and U.S., 
conference attendees included OCHA officials from Geneva and 
Dubai Regional Office and representatives from Saudi Arabia, 
Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, Sweden, Switzerland and the 
United Kingdom.  As a result of joining ODSG, the UAE was 
invited to participate in the late May ODSG meeting in 
Washington. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  The Red Crescent was instrumental in securing UAEG 
commitment to join the ODSG.  It was the Red Crescent that 
initially developed the proposal to join ODSG and advocated 
that the announcement be made at the OCHA conference.  Red 
Crescent Secretary General Sana'a Derwish al-Kitbi told 
econoff on May 8 that she had discussed the issue personally 
with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan and 
Deputy Prime Minister Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan (who also 
serves as the President of the Red Crescent).  Although the 
Red Crescent considers itself an independent authority, the 
UAEG frequently relies upon the Red Crescent to represent the 
government (for example, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
designated the UAE Red Crescent to host and coordinate the 
OCHA conference on behalf of the UAEG).  The UAE's leaders 
trust the Red Crescent to be one of the mechanisms through 
which the UAEG channels its humanitarian aid, and the Red 
Crescent clearly has influence in, and connections to, the 
UAEG.  Thus the Red Crescent is more accurately described as 
a quasi-governmental organization than an independent 
authority. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In his introductory remarks thanking UN and US 
officials for planning the conference, UAE Red Crescent Board 
Chairman al-Suweidi stressed the need for better organization 
in order "to reduce and eliminate human suffering" and also 
focused on the importance of coordination in delivering 
humanitarian assistance.  He referred specifically to UAE 
help for Africa, Pakistan, Darfur, and the Tsunami victims, 
but did not mention UAE,s $100 million contribution to 
Hurricane Katrina relief. (DCM, attending conference, made a 
point of publicly thanking the UAE for its generous gift.) 
With regard to the Consolidated Appeal for the Horn of Africa 
launched by OCHA, al-Suweidi lamented the extremely low five 
(5) percent donation response rate and called for more 
governmental and NGO efforts to assist countries in the Horn 
of Africa.  He stated that the UAE was following all 
developments in the assistance arena very closely and would 
not hesitate to participate in international programs. 
 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The UAE is a major aid donor.  As a result of its 
ODSG membership, the UAE may send more of its humanitarian 
assistance via UN mechanisms.  However, Embassy anticipates 
that the UAEG will continue to channel humanitarian aid 
through multiple avenues and maintain its preference for 
providing bilateral assistance.  Historically, the UAE sends 
charitable contributions via quasi-governmental charities 
like the Red Crescent Society, the Mohammed bin Rashid 
Foundation in Dubai, and the Sheikh Zayed Foundation in Abu 
Dhabi.  The Abu Dhabi Government also funds the Abu Dhabi 
Fund for Development, which disburses grants and loans to 
needy governments for specific project development.  In 
addition, the UAE sometimes chooses to fund specific projects 
directly.  For example, in 2005, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 
announced that it would fund a $100 million housing complex 
in Gaza for 30,000-40,000 displaced Palestinians.  As opposed 
to channeling this project through an aid organization, 
implementation has been through the Abu Dhabi Department of 
Municipalities and Agriculture. 
 
¶6. (U) Below is a sampling of humanitarian assistance 
provided by UAE agencies and or charitable foundations via 
various aid mechanisms.  (Note: These numbers do not 
represent the sum total of UAE international assistance. 
They are, however, a sampling of the projects and programs 
drawn from annual reports, meetings with officials of the aid 
organizations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ref B. 
End note.) 
 
-- UAE Red Crescent Society (2005) 
      * Iraq: $4,884,741 for shelter, medicine, 
medical supplies, food, etc. 
      * Afghanistan: $4,039,782 for medicine, 
medical supplies, shelter, food, etc. 
      * Palestinian Territories: $9,705,449 
 
-- Sheikh Zayed Foundation (2003-2005) 
      * Iraq: $1,279,995 for emergency relief 
 
-- Office of the President of the UAE 
   (2003-2005) 
      * Iraq: $2,452,491 for emergency relief, 
            cash 
 
-- Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and 
   Agriculture (2005) 
      * Palestinian Territories: $100 million 
for housing complex. 
 
-- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation 
   (2003-2005) 
      * Iraq: $95,290 for emergency relief 
SISON