Fourth UAE Aid Ship Arrives At Al Arish With Vital Supplies For Gaza

The fourth UAE aid ship destined for Gaza docked on Thursday at the port of Arish in Egypt's North Sinai. This arrival is part of the UAE's ongoing efforts to support Palestinians through Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3." The ship's cargo will enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing, coordinated with Egyptian authorities.

This vessel, which departed from Fujairah port on 8th July, is the largest UAE aid ship sent to Gaza in terms of cargo volume and variety. It carries 5,340 tonnes of relief and food supplies. This includes 4,134 tonnes of food parcels amounting to 145,000 packages, 145 tonnes of rice and flour, and 110 tonnes of water distributed over 200,000 packages.

Additionally, the shipment includes more than 4,000 tents, 42,000 health packages for women and children, 18 tonnes of sun, wind, and dust-resistant covers, and 1,600 relief bags. The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation provided these supplies.

Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3" has seen multiple initiatives launched by the UAE to assist Palestinians. These include establishing two field hospitals—one inside Gaza and another as a floating hospital off Al Arish city’s coast. Five automatic bakeries have been set up alongside providing flour to eight existing bakeries in Gaza.

The UAE has also established six desalination plants producing 1.2 million gallons per day. This water benefits over 600,000 people in Gaza. Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of ERC, highlighted the significance of these efforts: "Since the beginning of the difficult circumstances experienced by our Palestinian brothers, the UAE has continued to fulfill its humanitarian and relief role in helping them by all available means."

Additional Initiatives

The Joint Operations Command initiated Operation "Birds of Goodness" to airdrop aid into isolated northern Gaza areas unreachable by land. So far, this operation has delivered 3,382 tonnes of relief supplies. The fourth ship's arrival marks a significant step due to its large cargo volume and diverse aid types.

Al Mansouri emphasised that this shipment is crucial as it addresses various needs of Palestinians: "The arrival of the fourth ship to the Gaza Strip is an important step as it is the largest in terms of cargo and diversity of aid."

The cargo was transported by 313 trucks that unloaded their contents onto the ship before setting sail from Fujairah. This marks the eighth UAE aid ship sent to Gaza under this initiative.

The continuous support from the UAE aims to alleviate severe humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza. These efforts reflect directives from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE remains committed to providing necessary aid through various means to support Palestinians during these challenging times.

With inputs from WAM