Watch: Largest Gaza aid ship sails from Dubai with 5820 tonnes of relief goods

Dubai: A ship carrying 5,820 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for Gaza departed from Hamriyah Port in Dubai on Friday.

This marked the largest vessel, called Zayed Humanitarian Ship, deployed in the UAE’s Operation Gallant Knight 3, carrying food, clothing, tents, medical supplies and other relief goods.

Amid the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had launched the humanitarian operation on November 5, 2023. This initiative, coordinated by the Joint Operations Command at the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent and other UAE humanitarian organisations, aims to provide critical aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Volunteers

The Joint Operations Command at the Ministry of Defence announced that the seventh UAE aid ship departed from Hamriyah Port in Dubai, bound for the Egyptian city of Al Arish, on Friday.

As part of this effort, Sheikh Mohamed had invited doctors registered with the UAE Ministry of Health and the Department of Health—Abu Dhabi, as well as volunteers from the Red Crescent and other humanitarian organisations, to join the operation.

Key initiatives include the establishment of a field hospital in Gaza and a floating hospital in Arish, Egypt, equipped for emergency care and surgeries. Critical patients are also being transported to UAE hospitals for continued treatment.

Additionally, the UAE has launched water desalination projects in Rafah, Egypt, and the Birds of Goodness initiative to deliver aid to hard-to-reach areas.

Largest shipment

Speaking to Gulf News, Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, Deputy Secretary General for the Local Affairs Sector at the Emirates Red Crescent Authority. described the seventh Emirati aid ship, the “Zayed Humanitarian Ship”, as the largest vessel deployed in the operation.

This is aboard the seventh ship, and it is expected that over 60,000 tonnes would have been delivered to Palestine over the coming weeks. This ship is considered the largest, along with a previous one from the UAE, in terms of the amount of cargo it carries. It may take approximately 14 days to arrive, depending on sea conditions. It will arrive during second week of March (during Ramadan).

The ship carries substantial quantities of medical supplies, relief goods, and food for Palestinians.

Main goods

87 tonnes of medical supplies.

1394 tonnes of relief supplies

4404 tonnes of food

Ali Mohammad Al Rashidi, Director of Human Resources at Sharjah Charity International, told Gulf News about the collective effort behind the mission. Sharjah Charity contributed 10,000 food baskets. Since the crisis began, the UAE has delivered over 55,143 tonnes of aid to Gaza. This operation represents the longest-running relief mission in UAE history.

Operation Gallant Knight 3 has delivered aid through more than 570 airlifts and six sea shipments so far.

Highlights

Over 55,143.8 tonnes of aid, including 3,412 truckloads transported from Egypt to Gaza.

53 missions using 190 aircraft delivered 3,700 tons of aid to inaccessible areas in northern Gaza.

Six desalination stations and water transport vehicles serving diverse communities.

Two field hospitals in Gaza and a floating hospital in Arish, providing specialised care for children, women, and the elderly.

17 total number of ambulances

12 total number of tankers.

9 total number of bakers

The floating hospital — 9661 cases treated inside. It includes 100 beds

The field hospital — 50,489 cases treated inside — includes 200 beds.