Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Humanitarian will facilitate three airlifts to deliver critical medical aid to Gaza via El Arish, Egypt. The airlifts, carried out through the Dubai Air Wing (DAW), will support the ongoing humanitarian response in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Giuseppe Saba, CEO and Board Member of Dubai Humanitarian, said: “We stand steadfast in our commitment to supporting the people of Gaza during these challenging times. Following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we are intensifying our efforts to mobilise resources and collaborate with the international humanitarian community to deliver critical, life-saving assistance where it is needed most. Dubai Humanitarian has significantly increased the dispatch of medical supplies and mobile hospitals to address the pressing healthcare needs on the ground. We remain hopeful that the ceasefire will allow the sustained and unhindered flow of aid, enabling us to scale up operations and extend our reach to those in urgent need.”

The first airlift departed this morning, carrying 67.9 MT of primary health kits from the stocks of WHO in Dubai Humanitarian. The fragile state of Gaza’s healthcare system and the lack of sufficient cold chain facilities make the rapid delivery of these essential supplies crucial.

Robert Blanchard, Head of WHO’s Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics, said: “WHO is grateful for our partnership with Dubai Humanitarian and the generous support from the Dubai Government and the Government of the UAE.  Delivering over $200 million in emergency health supplies to over 140 countries since 2018, WHO’s Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics based here in the UAE is vital to protecting the health of millions of people in need around the world.”

“We now deliver more medicines to reach more people more quickly than ever before.  Sadly, we are projecting a 30% increase in demand as more and more people need humanitarian assistance.  But today, our focus is on responding to the unprecedented needs in Gaza where health facilities have been destroyed, healthcare workers and WHO staff have lost their lives and severe shortages of essential medicines now exist.  This UAE-donated flight carrying 68 metric tons of medicines will support 95,000 people for three months,” added Blanchard. “The shipment includes emergency primary health care kits that contain essential medicines for the treatment of respiratory diseases, treatment of infections, treatments for cardiovascular disease, insulin and many other medicines critical for protecting human health and saving lives.”

Since the onset of the crisis 15 months ago, Dubai Humanitarian has facilitated the delivery of over 1,068 tonnes of aid to Gaza aboard 23 airlifts and 1 sea shipment, moving relief from the warehouses of WHO, Unicef, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP), hosted in Dubai Humanitarian, the world’s largest humanitarian hub.