Founded in 2003 by the ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, IHC is a UAE free zone.
[1] IHC is home to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees's global stockpile of humanitarian aid.
[3] Dubai's geographic position, relatively close to crisis zones in Asia and Africa, makes it significant to global humanitarian logistics and supply chain.
[1][4] The IHC is close to the UAE's Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali seaport.
[citation needed] Airlifts from the IHC, supported by the WHO, Emirates SkyCargo, and International Red Cross, were sent to Beirut after the 2020 port explosion.