- RAF plane departed this morning with 21 tonnes of
humanitarian supplies for Gaza
- Supplies including medical equipment and water filters will
be delivered to Egypt
- Delivery comes after PM announced £30m increase in UK support
to meet severe humanitarian needs in Gaza
An RAF C-17 aircraft is en-route to Egypt to deliver vital UK
Government humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.
The flight left RAF Brize Norton this morning and will deliver
twenty-one tonnes of life-saving UK aid for civilians in Gaza.
Essential supplies including 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water
filters and 2,560 solar lights were dispatched to address the
unfolding humanitarian crisis.
The UK has also delivered a temporary, rapid-assembly warehouse
and mechanical handling equipment including two forklift trucks,
which can be set up close to the Rafah border crossing to respond
quickly to needs on the ground.
The aid is part of the £30 million increase in
humanitarian support for the Occupied Palestinian Territories
announced by the Prime Minister – more than doubling the UK’s
existing commitment for this year from £27m to £57m.
Supplies will be distributed via the Egyptian Red Crescent, which
has requested them to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of
the people of Gaza. Each water filter and light is intended
to support a family of five.
In addition, ministers have been engaged in intensive diplomatic
activity in response to this crisis.
Last week the Prime Minister visited Israel, Saudi Arabia and
Egypt, where he pushed for greater humanitarian access to Gaza
and led efforts to help prevent regional escalation.
The Foreign Secretary visited Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the
past week, where he pushed for agreement on humanitarian access
to Gaza, the release of British hostages and foreign nationals,
and securing safe passage for British nationals to leave Gaza.
And the Defence Secretary is visiting Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates this week to discuss measures to prevent a wider
conflict, as well as humanitarian issues. He also met his
counterpart in Washington last week to coordinate the UK and US’s
response to the crisis.
Defence Secretary said:
<“Today’s airlift is a clear demonstration of the UK’s
commitment to helping those most in need - rapidly deploying the
RAF to get life-saving aid into the region. > <“Together
with our regional partners it’s critical that we prioritise
protecting all civilians from harm - that’s why I’m in the Middle
East this week to work with defence leaders on deterring a wider
conflict that would have devastating consequences for families
across the region.”
To support the FCDO team in country with distributing aid
shipments, the UK’s military advisory team attached to the
embassy in Egypt has been bolstered, following on from the Prime
Minister’s announcement last week that other teams in the region
had already been increased.
Foreign Secretary said:
The urgent humanitarian need in Gaza is clear. This delivery of
vital UK aid into Egypt will save lives but more is
needed. < Humanitarian aid must continue to be
allowed into Gaza to reach the people who need it most. The UK is
working with Israel, Egypt and other partners in the region to
enable life-saving aid to reach civilians including food, water,
medical supplies and fuel as a priority.
The Department for Health and Social Care has donated 76,800
wound care packs from its stockpiles. These include sterilised
clinical equipment and protective clothing.
