Dubai launches new air bridge to deliver winter aid to Gaza

Dubai: Dubai Humanitarian has launched a new air bridge to deliver winter aid to Gaza, following directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The first flight, carrying essential supplies and thermal blankets for UNICEF, has arrived in Al Arish, Egypt, ahead of the aid’s onward transfer to Gaza.

The operation involves multiple flights by the Dubai Royal Air Wing using C-130 aircraft, each carrying around nine tonnes of humanitarian supplies. At least three more flights are planned in the coming days to deliver blankets for children and other vulnerable people as families prepare for the approaching winter.

Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Chairman of Dubai Humanitarian Authority, said winter would be particularly difficult for families already facing severe hardship, especially children.

He said the first shipment had reached Al Arish and that Dubai Humanitarian would continue to bring aid organisations together and help deliver essential supplies to people in need.

The shipment also marks the first joint sourcing order under the United Nations’ UN80 Integrated Supply Chain Approach. The initiative brings UN agencies together to coordinate the purchase and delivery of humanitarian supplies.