Why humanitarianism means more in a fractured world

It is often said that it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. In the case of Myanmar, where a 7.7-magnitude earthquake more than a week ago took the lives of over 3,400 people, the darkness of such death and destruction is profound indeed. However, the humanitarian response to the crisis should inspire hope – a vitally important quality given our increasingly fractious world.

The UAE is among the leading nations that have stepped up to the challenge of helping the people of Myanmar. Almost 120 specialists from the Emirates have been sent to help find survivors and are currently looking at ways to distribute food, medicine and shelter to thousands more in need. Such efforts have not gone unnoticed. On Sunday, the Myanmar government honoured the UAE task force in a ceremony hosted by Dr Soe Win, the country’s Minister of Social Welfare.

An integral part of the Emirates’ approach to international humanitarianism has been to lead by example. As well as being one of the world’s top aid donors – from 2020 to 2022, the country’s foreign aid disbursements totalled more than $9 billion – it has regularly sent personnel into difficult and dangerous disaster zones. In 2023, for example, more than 130 UAE specialists raced against time to find survivors in the rubble of the Syria and Turkey earthquakes. The country has also been at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the war in Gaza. As well as delivering more than 55,000 tonnes of aid by air, sea and land, Emirati medics have risked their safety to volunteer in the Rafah field hospital, set up as part of the UAE’s Gallant Knight 3 operation.

Rescue personnel and organisations from the Emirates also have decades of practical experience to share. In 2004, the UAE sent a task force to Indonesia as the country reeled from the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Fast-forward to today and the Emirates is firmly established as a hub for global humanitarian work. Beginning today, its National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority – already a significant repository of skills and expertise – will host a two-day World Crisis and Emergency Management Summit in Abu Dhabi, encouraging knowledge-sharing and the building of ties between countries and organisations.

A robust and organised response to challenges such as that posed by the Myanmar earthquake must be long-term in nature. Long after the victims have been accounted for, Myanmar will face a struggle to contain the spread of disease, repair infrastructure and restore livelihoods. Given that the country is still in the grip of a deadly and many-sided conflict, it is crucial that its problems are not allowed to slip from the world’s attention.

The sheer scale of such a disaster reinforces the reality that the UAE’s commitment to extending a helping hand is about more than moral leadership. At a time of increasing international division, where old alliances are under strain and humanitarian principles are too often violated, examples of goodwill – such as helping countries in dire straits – shows that co-operation is not only still possible, it is necessary.