The key facts
- Students packed 10,000 winter kits: 70,000 items of clothing and heating supplies
- Since the war began in October 2023, the UAE has delivered more than 131,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza worth $4.16 billion
- In October Dubai launched an 'air bridge' with C-130 flights carrying about 9 tonnes of cargo each
Students' contribution to the winter campaign
Students at Mohammed bin Zayed University for Humanities in Abu Dhabi packed 10,000 winter aid kits for residents of the Gaza Strip — a total of 70,000 items of clothing and heating supplies. The drive was organised by the Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endowment in support of the UAE's humanitarian mission. Hamoud Al Afari, director of relief operations for Operation Chivalrous Knight,, noted that the students' participation reflects the values of solidarity and generosity instilled in the younger generation.
Scale of aid and logistics
The UAE's winter initiative began in September with the aim of providing warm clothing to one million residents of Gaza before the cold set in. According to Al Afari, since the war began in October 2023, the total volume of humanitarian aid delivered to the Strip has exceeded 131,000 tonnes, worth $4.16 billion. In October, Dubai Humanitarian launched a new 'air bridge' on the directive of the UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid,: the first flight, carrying thermal kettles for Unicef, arrived in El-Arish (Egypt), with the cargo subsequently transferred to Gaza. The flights are operated by Dubai Royal Air Wing on C-130 aircraft, each carrying about nine metric tonnes of cargo; at least three more flights were planned with blankets for children and vulnerable groups.
A separate food initiative
In parallel, since early October the UAE has been delivering food under the Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge programme, named after Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid — the brother of the Ruler of Dubai, who died on 21 September — in recognition of his charitable work. The programme aims to prepare 10 million meals,and volunteers have been assembling food kits, including at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Context
According to Gaza authorities, at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's military campaign; around two million residents of the Strip have been displaced. The US-backed ceasefire reached in October 2025 halted large-scale fighting, but, as The National notes, Israeli strikes have not stopped, and progress towards a lasting peace remains minimal. According to Israeli figures, the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 killed 1,200 people in Israel, and 251 people were taken hostage.
