The key facts
- ERC is delivering aid worth AED 50 million ($13.6 million): clothing, blankets, food, tents, medicines
- Last week, two convoys of 10 trucks delivered 260 tonnes of food to Gaza; 14,594 trucks and 138,290 tonnes of aid in total since the operation began
- Dubai Humanitarian has opened an air bridge: C-130 flights carrying about 9 tonnes of cargo each, with UNICEF support
New winter aid package
The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has begun delivering winter and medical aid worth AED 50 million — about $13.6 million — to Palestinians in Gaza, The National reports. The move comes as temperatures drop across the Middle East: the package includes clothing, blankets, food, tents, medicines and other essential items. The aid is primarily targeted at the most vulnerable groups — children, the elderly and families in acute hardship.
Context of the Gallant Knight 3 operation
The delivery is being carried out under the direction of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and in coordination with Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra region and chairman of the ERC, as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3 — the UAE's main mechanism for delivering aid to Gaza. The scale of the operation is illustrated by a recent delivery: last week two convoys of 10 trucks brought 260 tonnes of food into Gaza, bringing the total number of trucks that have entered the enclave since the mission began to 14,594, with the overall volume of aid reaching 138,290 tonnes.
Air bridge from Dubai
In parallel, the organisation Dubai Humanitarian has launched a new air route to deliver winter aid. The first flight carrying humanitarian cargo, including warm blankets, was carried out with the support of UNICEF; the flights are operated by the Dubai Royal Air Wing using C-130 aircraft, each carrying about nine metric tonnes of cargo. According to the publication, at least three more flights are planned with blankets for children and other vulnerable groups ahead of the onset of winter.
