According to the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS) the UAE is the second largest donor of aid to Yemen in the world (after Saudi Arabia) with approximately Dh1.6 billion given for infrastructure rehabilitation programmes through the end of 2015.

The UAE aid programmes in Yemen were carried out in four stages and focused on providing electricity food health water sanitation fuel and transport in nine Yemeni provinces.

Between 1971 and 2015 Dh6.65 billion in UAE aid was given to Yemen.

According to report released by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Friday the UAE ranked first globally as the largest donor of development aid for a second consecutive year.

The UAE has doled out Dh173 billion worth of foreign and developmental aid to 178 countries since 1971 according to a report released by the UAE Ministry of International Cooperation and Development.

In 2014 the UAE gave Dh18.36 billion of developmental aid which accounts for 1.26 per cent of gross national income.

According to the ministry the Asian continent has been the largest recipient of foreign aid - over Dh79.4 billion - over the last 44 years followed by Africa with Dh75.4 billion.

Of the total aid distributed globally Dh80.6 billion was given to the "government and society" sector followed by Dh22.5 billion for public programmes and Dh7.7 billion for emergency situations. Government aid accounted for 74 per cent of the total value of aid a total of Dh129 billion.

In second place was the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development with Dh30.5 billion and Emirates Red Crescent with Dh5.7 billion.

Gaza Egypt and Pakistan

In October 2014 the UAE announced a pledge to donate Dh736 million for the reconstruction of Gaza and has already dispersed and allocated $76.34 of the total pledge.

According to the ministry's report the UAE has disbursed and allocated about $76.34 million of the total pledge of $200 million while the remaining $123.56 million has been distributed according to commitments agreed with partner organisations.

In Egypt total aid in 2013 and 2014 amounted to Dh29 billion exceeding a previous pledge to donate Dh24 billion in support of economic and developmental stability. Since 1971 almost Dh47.3 billion has gone to Egypt.

Additionally the UAE has given Dh1.175 billion to Pakistan particularly in the wake of devastating floods in 2010.

The UAE has also administered a plan to vaccinate Pakistani children. A total of 86 million polio vaccinations were given to children in 53 areas of the country.

Support for Syria

Through the end of 2015 UAE support for the humanitarian crisis in Syria totalled Dh12.35 billion and reached 1.5 million refugees and displaced people in total.

Additionally 10000 visas were given to Syrians since the start of the crisis in 2011.

In Jordan the UAE has also opened the UAE-Jordanian Mrajib Al Fhood refugee camp funded a local field hospital and set up an Emirati Red Crescent camp for Syrian refugees in northern Iraq.