A massive humanitarian shipment — the largest since the launch of the UAE’s “Operation Chivalrous Knight 3” — is en route to Gaza, loaded under the scorching July sun at Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Packed with critical aid including a fully equipped field hospital, the ship is expected to arrive at Egypt’s Al Arish Port within the next two weeks, after which the supplies will be transported by land into Gaza. The mission, coordinated by UAE relief teams, aims to bolster Gaza’s crumbling healthcare system and support civilians suffering under a worsening humanitarian crisis.
“This is the largest shipment we’ve sent since the start of the operation,” said relief operations coordinator Hmoud Al Efari. Volunteers and charity workers continued loading supplies despite soaring temperatures, determined to meet the urgent needs of civilians inside the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The cargo includes food parcels, tents, hygiene and relief kits, clothing, mattresses, and other essential supplies. The initiative is being supported by a coalition of UAE-based charitable organisations, including the Emirati Red Crescent, Khalifa Foundation, Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and several regional charity bodies.
In addition to aid by sea, the UAE on Wednesday announced a major new water relief initiative: a large-scale desalinated water supply project that will link a UAE-built desalination plant in Egypt to displacement camps in southern Gaza. The pipeline is expected to deliver 15 litres of drinking water per person daily, serving an estimated 600,000 residents in the Khan Younis and Rafah regions.
The announcement comes amid growing alarm from international agencies about severe shortages inside Gaza. In April, the UN’s World Food Programme and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that food stocks had been exhausted, even as trucks loaded with aid remained stuck at border crossings.
According to the UN, Israel allowed approximately 6,000 tonnes of wheat flour into Gaza in June — far short of the 10,000 tonnes urgently needed to combat growing malnutrition. Journalists on the ground have reported rising desperation among civilians, with many unable to find even basic food staples like canned goods and vegetables.
The UAE’s continuing aid efforts, including water and medical support, offer a rare lifeline to many in Gaza as humanitarian agencies call for greater international action to ensure unimpeded access for relief convoys.
