SINGAPORE — An aircraft with supplies for civilians in Gaza, including medicine, sanitation items and water filters, departed Singapore on Thursday (Nov 30) amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport left Changi Air Base (East) some time after midnight for Egypt.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Defence said in a joint statement that the Government deployed the aircraft in view of the urgent need for aid and while humanitarian supply lines remain open.
A total of 46 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel, including pilots, aircrew, engineers and army security personnel, are involved in this humanitarian mission. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad were at the airbase.
Singapore's Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Goh will witness the handover of the supplies to the Egyptian Red Crescent in Egypt, which will then facilitate their delivery to the civilians in Gaza.
The SAF's Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (Changi RHCC) had led efforts to coordinate and consolidate the aid items, after MFA engaged the Egyptian Red Crescent to determine what supplies were most needed.
The Changi RHCC, which was launched in 2014, had previously sent disaster relief teams and emergency supplies to Nepal in 2015 and Laos in 2018.
The supplies sent to Egypt, also consisting of medical supplies, blankets and food, were from the Ministry of Health, SAF, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, and Relief Singapore.
Representatives from the NGOs were also at the airbase on Nov 29, along with Egyptian Ambassador-designate to Singapore Ahmed Mostafa Abdelaal Mohamed, and Singapore's Representative to the Palestinian Authority, Hawazi Daipi.
Speaking to media at the airbase, Dr Balakrishnan said careful arrangements were made to ensure the supplies were relevant.
He added that the items were sent as an expression of Singaporeans' support and compassion.
In the joint statement, the ministries said Singaporeans had contributed more than $7 million in cash and in-kind donations to support relief efforts in Gaza.
Referring to an ongoing truce in the conflict, Dr Balakrishnan said: "We are all hoping that the truce will be extended. But we also know that the situation is dire and it is urgent for assistance to be delivered as soon as possible.
"And we are very grateful that the RSAF has enabled us to deliver this essential medical and humanitarian assistance quickly in this very narrow window."
Zaqy said that the aid effort was testament to the strong links and close collaboration between Singapore NGOs and the Government.
The Government had announced in October a contribution of $300,000 towards relief operations through the Singapore Red Cross, which has itself donated US$300,000 (S$400,000) worth of supplies.
In November, a staff member of the Singapore Red Cross was in Egyptian capital Cairo to coordinate efforts to channel aid through the Rafah border crossing.
The RLAF, a Singapore charity, separately raised more than $2 million, which was handed over to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The Singapore Red Cross' head of global engagement, Rebekah Lim, said the water filters in the humanitarian package sent out on Wednesday will be "very useful in providing clean drinking water for the civilians in Gaza, making most of the limited water supplies available".
Israel and Hamas agreed to a six-day truce now ongoing — the first pause in a war that has lasted more than seven weeks so far, after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct 7.
Israel said 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken as hostages.
Israel's government has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched an aerial and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which the armed group controls. Officials in the enclave say the Israeli operation has killed more than 15,000 people.
More than two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have lost their homes to Israeli bombardments, with thousands of families sleeping rough in makeshift shelters, with only the belongings they could carry.
The temporary ceasefire has allowed about 800 aid trucks to enter Gaza, and the first of three United States planes with humanitarian supplies for Gaza landed in Egypt on Nov 28.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
