UAE brings hope to Gaza, eases siege on food, water
ABU DHABI (WAM) The United Arab Emirates continues its extensive efforts to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured severe hunger and thirst for over a year and a half.The UAE has been delivering large-scale food aid to the enclave by land, air and sea, while also launching sustainable initiatives such as providing automatic bakeries and setting up field kitchens, complemented by several projects aimed at securing access to clean drinking water for residents.These efforts come amid a dramatic deterioration of the food and water crisis in Gaza. Palestinian medical sources reported two days ago that 147 people, including 88 children, have died from malnutrition. Recent data from the United Nations World Food Programme and UNICEF showed that more than one in three people in Gaza — 39 per cent — are going days without food. Over 500,000 people, nearly a quarter of Gaza's population, are experiencing famine-like conditions, while the rest face emergency levels of hunger.Despite the dire situation on the ground, the tragedy would have been even more catastrophic without the UAE's continued support since the launch of 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3'. According to UN reports, Emirati aid has accounted for 44 per cent of all international assistance delivered to Gaza to date.On the food relief front, the UAE has successfully delivered tens of thousands of tonnes of food supplies to the people of Gaza through land convoys, airdrops under the 'Birds of Goodness' operation, and maritime shipments. The most recent was the Khalifa aid ship, which carried a total of 7,166 tonnes, including 4,372 tonnes of food.To counter the severe bread shortage that emerged early in the conflict, the UAE sent automatic bakeries into Gaza in February 2024. It also supplied flour and other essentials to support the daily operation of over 21 field bakeries.The UAE also helped operate field kitchens and more than 50 charitable soup kitchens that serve hot meals daily to affected families in Gaza.During the last Ramadan, Emirates Red Crescent carried out an iftar campaign in Gaza that provided 13 million meals, supported 44 soup kitchens which benefited over 2 million people, and supplied 17 bakeries that served 3.12 million individuals.In parallel, the UAE moved swiftly to confront the looming water crisis threatening the lives of over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, especially after widespread damage to pumping stations and distribution networks due to the war.Within days of launching Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, the UAE established six desalination plants with a total capacity of 2 million gallons of water per day, serving over 600,000 people in Gaza.On July 15, the UAE announced the launch of a humanitarian project under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 to supply desalinated water from Egypt to southern Gaza through a newly constructed transmission line, the largest of its kind. This emergency intervention aims to address the region's worsening water crisis.The project includes a 315mm-wide, 6.7-kilometre-long pipeline linking the UAE-built desalination plant in Egypt to the displacement zone between Khan Younis and Rafah. It aims to provide about 600,000 residents with 15 litres of desalinated water per person each day, especially in light of damage to more than 80 per cent of Gaza's water facilities.
Additionally, the UAE has launched several initiatives to drill and rehabilitate potable water wells, rehabilitate sewage networks in affected areas, and deliver dozens of tanker trucks carrying fresh water into the enclave.
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