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The UAE has begun distributing clean drinking water to Palestinians from its desalination plants in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians taking shelter in the enclave will now have access to clean drinking water that has been treated in the Emirati-run desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday.
It comes part of the country's humanitarian initiative, Operation Gallant Knight 3.
Earlier this month, one of three desalination plants the UAE is building on the Mediterranean coast on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border opened.
They each aim to have a production capacity of 200,000 gallons a day, which are expected to provide 300,000 Gazans with treated water daily.
The announcement comes after the UAE sent more than 1.6 million pieces of warm clothing and blankets to the Gaza Strip to help alleviate the suffering of embattled Palestinians grappling with the continued conflict and harsh winter conditions.
The aid convoy was overseen by the Emirates Red Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the UAE government, as part of its 'Be their Warmth' campaign, state news agency Wam reported.
The crucial supplies – which are to be distributed in phases – will support those struggling without shelter as temperatures plunge as the Israel-Gaza war rages on.
Gaza is bearing the brunt of a humanitarian disaster, with more than 21,100 people killed since the war broke out on October 7, according to the Gaza Health Ministry said.
The vast majority of the besieged enclave's 2.2-million population is believed to be displaced, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian aid.
Latest from the Israel-Gaza war – in pictures
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Houthi fighters shout gather in Sanaa. The rebels have launched attacks in the Red Sea in response to the Gaza war. EPA -
From left, Israeli Foreign Ministry adviser Tal Becker, lawyer Malcolm Shaw and Gilad Noam, deputy attorney general for international affairs, at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. AFP -
A Palestinian man injured in an Israeli strike receives treatment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. AP -
Palestinian medics mourn after members of the Palestinian Red Crescent were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir Al Balah. Reuters -
Israeli soldiers take up positions during a ground operation in Khan Younis. AP -
Mourners gather at Al Najar hospital in Rafah, after several relatives of a member of the Hamas general military council were killed in a strike. AFP -
Palestinians wait to receive food aid in Rafah. AP -
A mass grave in Rafah. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. AFP -
Palestinians search the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli attack on Rafah. AFP -
Injured Palestinians receive treatment at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. AFP -
Smoke rises over Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, as seen from Rafah, during sustained Israeli air strikes. AFP -
The destruction has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, from the north to Rafah in the south. Reuters -
Israeli soldiers stand on an armoured personnel carrier near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel. Reuters -
Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip. EPA -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives a security briefing with commanders and soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip. AP -
Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in an Israeli strike on the Al Maghazi refugee camp. AFP -
A Palestinian man detained by the Israeli military awaits treatment for his injuries in Rafah. AFP
