Global Leadership In Nutrition: MBRGI Urges Anticipatory Action And Stronger Partnerships At Davos Roundtable

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives participated in a high-level roundtable at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos that warned of mounting famine risks and called for stronger global leadership to protect children from malnutrition through faster, preventive action rather than late emergency responses.

The discussion, titled "Raising the Alarm: Calling for Global Leadership to Stop Famines and Protect Children from Malnutrition", sought to move international actors from warning signs to joint commitments. It examined how governments, multilateral agencies and philanthropic institutions could act earlier, share information and coordinate responses before nutrition crises escalate.

Saeed Al Eter, CEO of MBRGI, joined Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, and Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director at WFP, at the session. The roundtable was described as an opportunity to shift from dialogue towards shared direction on famine prevention and child nutrition protection at international scale.

Participants focused on moving away from purely reactive humanitarian work towards anticipatory systems. They assessed how foundations could trigger earlier interventions, support data-driven monitoring and align their own funding cycles with those of UNICEF and the World Food Programme, creating longer planning horizons for famine preparedness and child-focused nutrition programmes.

Since its establishment in 2015, MBRGI has directed more than AED13.8 billion to humanitarian aid and relief, reaching 788 million people in 118 countries. The foundation reports that these funds target communities experiencing conflict, economic strain and climate pressures, where food insecurity and child malnutrition risks are high.

In 2024 alone, MBRGI spent over AED2.2 billion, benefiting about 149 million people across 118 countries. Its programmes operate under five pillars: Humanitarian Aid & Relief, Healthcare & Disease Control, Spreading Education & Knowledge, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Empowering Communities, with child nutrition support integrated across these workstreams.

MBRGI partnerships, child hunger and global malnutrition action

Saeed Al Eter stated that MBRGI is committed to sustainable answers to child hunger and malnutrition, especially in fragile states facing conflict, economic instability and climate impacts. Al Eter said the foundation aims to support durable food systems and strengthen resilience in communities where children face the highest nutrition risks.

Al Eter highlighted that MBRGI is reinforcing partnerships with UNICEF, the WFP and other UN entities. These collaborations seek to provide underprivileged communities with practical food security insights and to support the global drive towards Sustainable Development Goal 2, which targets Zero Hunger by 2030 through coordinated international and local measures.

Al Eter also urged a unified international stance on rising global hunger and its effect on development prospects and basic needs. Al Eter emphasised the need for anticipatory measures, faster response capacity, long-term finance and closer cooperation between governments, the UN system and philanthropic organisations to safeguard nutrition and healthcare for the most vulnerable.

MBRGI brings together more than 30 initiatives and institutions under one framework. The foundation aims to address key global challenges and invest in human capital so that vulnerable populations, including children at risk of malnutrition, gain improved access to food, healthcare, education and economic opportunities over the long term.

With inputs from WAM