DIHAD: UAE Aid Agency Joins UNICEF in Holding Roundtable on Water Sanitation
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) | Published August 25, 2026 | 05:15 PM
DUBAI (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Aug, 2026) The UAE Aid Agency and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held a roundtable titled “From Commitment to Impact: Humanitarian Action in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene,” as part of the agency’s participation in the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD 2026), which took place under the theme “Humanity in Transition: Shaping the Future of Humanitarian Action.”
The discussions brought together prominent figures from humanitarian and development organizations, donor institutions, innovators, and the private sector. The aim was to build more resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
Participants emphasized the significance of water resilience and how humanitarian response, preparedness, recovery, and systems strengthening can be better integrated to minimize future needs. They also discussed how partnerships, financing, technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence can accelerate investment in sustainable water and sanitation systems.
Recommendations from the discussions will be submitted to the organizing committee of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be held in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December. This conference will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal.
Sarah Jasim, Director of Sustainable Development in the Operations Department at the UAE Aid Agency, remarked on the importance of humanitarian response in saving lives, while also highlighting the critical need for investing in resilient and sustainable water and sanitation systems. She added that the agency, in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, is committed to transitioning from an emergency-only response model to one focused on preparedness, recovery, and capacity-building. This shift will involve deploying innovative solutions and leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to enhance water and sanitation services for vulnerable communities.
Lana Wreikat, UNICEF Regional Office Director for the Gulf, stated that addressing water sector challenges is no longer merely a development concern but has evolved into an urgent humanitarian priority. She advocated for moving beyond repetitive humanitarian response cycles towards securing the financing, technology, innovation, and human capacity required to tackle water and sanitation system issues—especially amidst worsening crises. This step is essential to protect children, safeguard developmental achievements, and reduce future humanitarian needs.
Over the past three years, the UAE has allocated USD 21 million to support the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector as part of its global humanitarian response. Recent efforts include establishing desalination plants in El Arish, Egypt, capable of producing two million gallons of water.