UAE sends urgent aid to Gaza as winter storms strike

Field team moves swiftly to help alleviate effects of harsh conditions

Displaced Palestinians walk through floodwater after heavy rain in Gaza city. AFP

The UAE has carried out urgent relief interventions in the Gaza Strip in response to the crisis caused by winter storms and severe cold.

As heavy rain flooded many streets and water seeped into damaged tents, the UAE operation activated water-pumping systems that had been posted in advance, state news agency Wam reported.

The operation distributed 1,189 tents, 4,280 winter jackets and 538 relief kits containing essential supplies for displaced families.

In addition, 5,012 winter clothing parcels and 1,403 winter blankets were delivered. These efforts fall under Operation Gallant Knight 3, which has provided humanitarian and relief assistance to the people of Gaza for more than two years.

The severe weather is putting thousands of Palestinians in imminent danger. Over the past several days, civil defence workers have responded to dozens of collapses, evacuating entire families as fierce storms rage. At least 14 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more injured as weather and war damage combine to bring homes crashing down.

Earlier, the UAE opened a dedicated medical centre in the Gazan city of Khan Younis to provide emergency care to civilians and help ease the strain on health services devastated by the conflict with Israel and chronic supply shortages.

The Emirates Medical Centre has several specialised departments and is equipped to support patients needing both primary and urgent care.

The new centre, opened on Sunday, will deliver a much-needed boost to Palestinians in the grips of a humanitarian crisis that has been exacerbated by severe storms sweeping across the Gaza Strip in recent days.

Show of solidarity

The UAE opened a 200-bed field hospital in Gaza in December 2023 that has since treated tens of thousands of Palestinians.

The field hospital, which was swiftly assembled by a team of medical professionals and support staff, is equipped with advanced medical technology and supplies.

It specialises in general and orthopaedic surgery and offers anaesthetic services and intensive care for children and adults. It also provides internal medicine, dentistry, family medicine and psychiatric treatment.

The Emirates also established a floating hospital – docked at Al Arish in Egypt – on February 24, last year as part of its wide-ranging humanitarian support.

The renovated ship is equipped with advanced surgical and intensive care units, a radiology department and laboratories. It has a capacity of 100 patient beds and another 100 for accompanying relatives. More than 5,000 operations had been conducted aboard the vast vessel.