Watch: UAE aid brings relief to Gazans on brink of starvation
UAE aid a ray of hope
The UAE was among the first countries to respond to the crisis. On November 5, 2023, under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Operation Gallant Knight 3 was launched to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
In March, Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel, Reuters reported.
A video posted on X by the Operation Gallant Knight 3's official account shows the extent of the crisis, with children and adults alike bemoaning the long waits to fill their pots with food, stomachs aching with hunger. Sometimes, they say, the long waits turn out to be fruitless, as the rations are not enough to go around.
However, as UAE aid started to flow in again, the situation took a turn for the better. The operation now continues, providing food supplies to the community.
According to the video, the UAE has launched food kitchens in the north and south of the Gaza strip on June 30. Stirring huge pots of rice and lentils, and baking bread in traditional ovens on the ground, aid workers tirelessly ensuring the people of Gaza are cared for and fed. They also personally deliver food to the sick and injured in hospitals.
These facilities prepare around 60,000 meals daily. Since July 10, bakeries have been open and running as well, to fulfill the needs of the population.
There have also been air drops of water and medicines, bring essentials — and hope — to the people.
Watch the video, originally posted on X, here:
Continuous humanitarian relief
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials, reported Reuters.
From then until March 31 this year, the UAE has marked 500 days of continuous humanitarian relief. The nation has provided the war-torn area with over 65,000 tonnes of food, medical, and relief aid — valued at more than US$1.2 billion — through land, sea, and air routes.
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