Sheikh Mohammed Launches Dh1 Billion ‘Had Al Hayah’ Ramadan Campaign to Save Five Million Children

His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched a new humanitarian Ramadan campaign aimed at saving five million children under the age of five from death caused by malnutrition and hunger. 

The initiative, titled “Had Al Hayah” (The Edge of Life), seeks to mobilise at least Dh1 billion in donations from within the UAE and internationally. The campaign falls under the umbrella of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and is being implemented in partnership with leading international organisations including Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Save the Children, UNICEF, and Action Against Hunger.

Announcing the campaign ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, Sheikh Mohammed said the initiative will provide urgent nutritional support and life-saving interventions to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. He emphasised that the UAE’s annual Ramadan humanitarian campaigns reflect the nation’s deeply rooted values of generosity and solidarity.

“In a few days, we will welcome a blessed and cherished month,” Sheikh Mohammed stated. “As part of our annual tradition of launching a humanitarian Ramadan campaign from the people of the UAE to the world, we are launching this month the ‘Had Al Hayah’ campaign, which aims to save five million children under the age of five from death caused by malnutrition and hunger.”

Highlighting the urgency of the crisis, Sheikh Mohammed noted that more than 118 million children worldwide suffered from malnutrition last year, with an estimated 2.6 million dying due to hunger. He stressed that it is not in the UAE’s character or values to remain inactive in the face of such a humanitarian tragedy.

The campaign aims to unite governments, institutions, philanthropists, and individuals to collectively raise at least Dh1 billion to prevent avoidable child deaths and strengthen long-term nutritional support systems. Sheikh Mohammed concluded his message with a prayer, asking for the nation’s continued protection and unity, and for the blessed month to inspire acts of compassion, including feeding the hungry and caring for the poor and needy.

The “Had Al Hayah” campaign reinforces the UAE’s global humanitarian leadership and its commitment to transforming generosity into tangible, life-saving impact.