In response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, many countries have stepped in to provide the much-needed relief supplies to support millions in the beseiged enclave amid widespread reports of starvation.

A UN agency for women said that one million women and girls in Gaza are facing mass starvation, violence and abuse , adding that they face possible choice of starving to death at their shelters or extreme risk of being killed while searching for food and water.

The UAE was among the first countries to respond to the crisis, launching Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 on November 5, 2023, under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan-well before conditions worsened.

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The move came ahead of what the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, later described as a“critical and unprecedented” humanitarian situation .

On March 31, the UAE marked 500 days of continuous humanitarian relief under the operation, delivering over 65,000 tonnes of food, medical, and relief aid-valued at more than US$1.2 billion - through land, sea, and air routes.

With its tri-modal delivery system, by land, sea, and air, the initiative has enabled UAE humanitarian aid to constitute 44 per cent of total international aid to Gaza to date, according to UN reports.

An operation named "Birds of Goodness", was launched on February 29, 2024 by the UAE's Joint Operations Command at the Ministry of Defence to help Gazans, with joint airdrops carried out by the UAE and Egyptian air forces over the northern parts of the strip.

The first airdrop, carried out by joint crews from both countries, involved three aircraft that delivered around 36 tonnes of food and medical aid over Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

After nearly nine months suspension due to the ongoing war, the operation resumed its work earlier this week, and packages of much-needed relief supplies started to reach the hungry people of Gaza as part of a joint mission with Jordan.

The airdrops deploy GPS-guided aid containers, using advanced systems to ensure precision delivery to targeted zones at the appropriate times.

Since its launch, the initiative has helped deliver around 3,750 tonnes of food and relief supplies, including essential food items and critical aid that meet the urgent needs of Gaza families.

Aid convoys

A convoy of Emirati humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

It consisted of 38 trucks, including 18 loaded with food supplies, medical aid, and infant formula, and 20 trucks carrying pipes, tanks, and equipment to support the operation of a new water pipeline.

On Sunday, another convoy of 25 trucks had entered, carrying water pipes and essential equipment for the pipeline. This brings the total number of trucks transporting materials for the water infrastructure project to 45, with all necessary components now delivered and preparations underway for the project's implementation.

Khalifa ship

Earlier this month, the UAE's largest aid ship to Gaza , the Khalifa Humanitarian Air Ship, set sail from Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, carrying a total load of 7,166 tonnes of various food, medical, and relief supplies.

In addition to aid deliveries via air, land and sea, the UAE has constructed two field hospitals; one inside Gaza and a floating hospital anchored off the coast of Arish in Egypt. It has also established six water desalination plants with a combined capacity of two million gallons per day, providing clean drinking water to affected communities.

This is the UAE's eighth Khalifa humanitarian ship and it carries :

• 4,372 tonnes of food supplies

• 1,433 tonnes of shelter materials

• 860 tonnes of medical supplies

• 501 tonnes of hygiene items

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