His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the ‘11.5: Edge of Life’ campaign, a global humanitarian initiative aimed at rescuing five million children worldwide from hunger and malnutrition.
The campaign continues Sheikh Mohammed’s annual Ramadan tradition of spearheading large-scale humanitarian drives, reinforcing the UAE’s deeply rooted culture of generosity and global solidarity.
Operating under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), the initiative focuses on children most at risk in vulnerable communities, particularly in regions affected by conflict, natural disasters, displacement and climate-related crises.
A race against time
Global statistics show that five children under the age of five die every minute due to hunger and malnutrition. Around 45 percent of all deaths in children under five — roughly 2.6 million annually — are linked to malnutrition, making it one of the leading causes of child mortality worldwide.
In 2025 alone, 118 million children faced hunger in what is described as one of the largest waves of child hunger in recent years. An estimated 181 million children lack access to the minimum nutrition required for healthy development.
Sheikh Mohammed said the holy month of Ramadan is a time to stand in solidarity with humanity.
“There is no better way to welcome Ramadan than by saving lives and ensuring that those in need can live with dignity,” he said. “Tens of millions of children around the world suffer from hunger. Our goal is to protect them, now and always.”
He added that every act of giving strengthens the UAE’s position as a global humanitarian force inspired by its Emirati legacy of compassion and service.
Why ‘11.5’ matters
The campaign’s name refers to a critical medical measurement: the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) used to detect acute malnutrition in children aged between six months and five years.
According to guidelines from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, a MUAC reading below 11.5 centimetres is a key indicator of severe acute malnutrition, requiring urgent medical intervention.
This simple measurement is widely used in refugee camps and emergency settings because it is fast, reliable and does not require complex equipment. Health workers can use it to make immediate decisions that could mean the difference between life and death.
The figure 11.5 therefore represents the thin line between a recoverable condition and a life-threatening crisis. By turning this clinical threshold into a global humanitarian call, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the urgency of early intervention.
Global partnerships and sustainable action
The ‘11.5: Edge of Life’ campaign is being implemented in partnership with major international organisations, including Save the Children, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Action Against Hunger, alongside UNICEF.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of MBRGI, said the campaign reflects Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of embedding a culture of giving within society while sending a strong message of solidarity from the UAE to the world.
“Our goal is to rescue five million children and protect another 30 million from the threat of hunger,” he said, noting that the initiative comes at a time when many international organisations are facing funding shortages.
The campaign will roll out sustainable programmes targeting child hunger and malnutrition, while encouraging broad participation from individuals, institutions and the private sector across the UAE.
Building on a legacy of Ramadan giving
The new initiative follows a series of high-impact Ramadan campaigns launched in recent years.
The ‘10 Million Meals’ campaign in 2020 collected over 15.3 million meals. In 2021, the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign exceeded expectations, distributing food across 30 countries. The ‘1 Billion Meals’ campaign in 2022 reached its target in under a month and delivered aid to 50 countries.
Subsequent initiatives included the ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’, the ‘Mothers’ Endowment’ and the ‘Fathers’ Endowment’, collectively raising billions of dirhams to support food security, education and healthcare for vulnerable communities worldwide.
Since its establishment in 2015, MBRGI has consolidated more than 30 initiatives under five pillars, including humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, innovation and community empowerment. The foundation has spent over AED13.8 billion since 2015, benefiting 788 million people across 118 countries.
In 2024 alone, MBRGI’s spending exceeded AED2.2 billion, reaching around 149 million beneficiaries globally.
A call to act before it’s too late
By spotlighting the number 11.5, the campaign seeks to embed a powerful reminder in public consciousness: that timely screening and swift action can save a child’s life.
As Ramadan begins, the UAE once again positions itself at the forefront of global humanitarian efforts, calling on the international community to unite against one of the world’s most urgent and preventable crises — child hunger.
