Humanitarian
The Humanitarian Accelerators is a unique initiative in the Arab World that connects start-ups and established companies from around the world with the UAE’s humanitarian sector to tackle social, cultural and environmental challenges in the Arab region using technology.
About Humanitarian Accelerators
The Humanitarian Accelerators Program is hosted in partnership with Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. It takes place at the same time as the Dubai Future Accelerators Program.
In the previous cohort, the program focused on using technology to provide refugees with top-tier education. In this cohort, our program will focus on using technology to help refugees with employment opportunities and using technology to tackle issues pertaining to water sanitation.
Previous Challenges
The Humanitarian Accelerators in collaboration with Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Initiatives issued two challenges that tackle humanitarian issues in the Arab region. We are looking for companies that can help solve these challenges.
1. JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES
Entity: Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives
Problem: The refugee crisis is a problem of poverty, not just migration
- 70% of refugees are living below the poverty line (less than USD1.90 per day) in their host countries, up from 50% in 2015.
- 86% of refugees living outside of camps in Jordan are now living below the poverty line, while in Lebanon 70% of Syrian refugee households live far below the national poverty line.
- UNHCR does not have 59% of the funds needed to reach refugees who require assistance. This translates to a funding shortfall of USD 795 million.
Required solutions: Utilizing technology to improve the livelihood of refugees.
2. SOLUTIONS FOR WATER SANITATION
Entities: UAE Water Aid (Suqia) + Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
Problem: 2 billion people globally are living in countries with no proper access to safe water and sanitation
Required solutions: Finding solutions for solar powered water generation, filtration, purification or desalination units. Lack of clean water access is a global crisis affecting many parts of the world.
While the specifics of the water challenge may differ slightly from area to area, most technologies and processes can be adapted for different water sources and community sizes by modifying certain components.
For the Humanitarian Accelerators initiative, Suqia requires a cost effective, solar powered water production technology that can easily be adapted to serve a multitude of areas with different community sizes.
- Requirements: solar powered, portable, modular/scalable, durable, easy to maintain, sustainable, affordable, compliant with WHO drinking guidelines, compliant with Health & Safety standards.
- Requirements: solar powered, portable, modular/scalable, durable, easy to maintain, sustainable, affordable, compliant with WHO drinking guidelines, compliant with Health & Safety standards.
