UAE sends 40 tonnes of aid to Gaza as extreme cold increases infant death toll

Supplies include milk and nutritional supplements for babies and winter clothes

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The UAE has sent another aircraft, loaded with 40 tonnes of aid, to the Gaza Strip as infant deaths from hypothermia and malnutrition have increased.

The shipment was sent on Tuesday via Egypt's Rafah border crossing as part of the UAE's Gallant Knight 3 operation, in partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Zayed Humanitarian Foundation and Sharjah Charity Foundation.

The supplies included milk and nutritional supplements for infants, and winter clothes, in addition to relief bags containing basic supplies for families.

“We received an emergency call from our teams on ground in Gaza about a severe shortage in winter essentials and food items,” said Saeed Suhail Al Mazrouei, head of disaster and relief department at the ERC, adding that they receive “daily updates” on what is needed from their teams in Gaza.

“Once we know what's needed, we buy materials from local market as well as continue to send aid collected so far.”

Dr Imad Kabaja, a paediatrician at the European Hospital in Gaza, said several children were close to death from malnutrition. “We receive around 1,000 children suffering from dehydration and malnutrition every day, with newborns and children under the age of four not having access to basic items like milk.

“They don't have access to food, warm clothes or shoes. They get only one meal a day and their parents are helpless.”

He urged the world to intensify humanitarian efforts to save the lives of Gazan children. “We are losing many of our children every day due to the war.”

Humanitarian agencies said that Israel has imposed barriers to aid deliveries in Gaza, especially in the north of the enclave.

The UAE has contributed 42 per cent of the total aid sent to Gaza since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, topping the list of donor countries.

The UAE's aid contributions have been valued at $828 million, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

The Emirates was among the first countries to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with President Sheikh Mohamed launching the Gallant Knight operation to send aid by land, air and sea.

This week, the UAE has sent three aid convoys through the Rafah crossing. The 445 tonnes of supplies included food, children's nutritional supplements, clothing and shelter materials. The National also witnessed eight lorries being loaded with aid at the UAE’s stores in Al Arish, Egypt, before entering the enclave.

Last month, four UAE aid convoys packed with supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. The convoys consisted of 41 lorries carrying more than 514 tonnes of aid including food, medical items, children's nutritional supplements, clothing, shelter materials and hygiene packages for women, state news agency Wam reported.

Since beginning operations in December last year, the UAE Field Hospital in Gaza has treated more than 50,000 patients. A floating hospital in Al Arish Port has treated more than 7,500 patients since opening in February. The UAE has established two other hospitals, including one with a centre to provide prosthetic limbs for Palestinians injured in the war.

Medical evacuations

The UAE also evacuated 55 injured and critically ill people from the Gaza Strip, including children and cancer patients. The 23rd flight of its kind, organised in co-operation with the World Health Organisation, took off from Ramon Airport in Israel on Tuesday, state news agency Wam reported. The 55 were accompanied by 72 family members.

In total, 2,254 patients and companions have now been evacuated from the enclave since war broke out in October last year.