The fourth UAE aid vessel destined for Gaza docked at the port of Arish in the Egyptian governorate of North Sinai on Thursday, readying its cargo for transfer into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, in collaboration with Egyptian authorities. Departing from Fujairah port in the UAE on July 8, the ship is part of Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3," initiated by the UAE to aid the Palestinian people in Gaza under their current hardships. This marks the fourth vessel to reach Arish under the "Chivalrous Knight 3" initiative and the eighth UAE aid ship to Gaza. It is also the most substantial UAE aid ship sent to Gaza in terms of cargo volume and variety.
The ship transported 5,340 tonnes of relief and food items, comprising 4,134 tonnes of food parcels amounting to 145,000 packages, 145 tonnes of rice and flour, 110 tonnes of water in 200,000 packages, over 4,000 tents, 42,000 health kits for women and children, 18 tons of weather-resistant covers, and 1,600 relief bags. The cargo was supplied by the Emirates Red Crescent, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, and was loaded onto the ship by 313 trucks.
Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the ERC, stated, "Since the onset of the challenging conditions faced by our Palestinian brethren, the UAE has persistently played its humanitarian and relief role in assisting them through all available avenues." This aligns with the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed. Al Mansouri emphasized that the arrival of the fourth ship to Gaza is significant, as it carries the largest and most diverse aid, addressing various Palestinian needs.
As part of Operation "Chivalrous Knight 3," the UAE has implemented several initiatives, including the construction of two field hospitals, one within the Gaza Strip and another floating hospital offshore of Al Arish city, alongside the establishment of five automatic bakeries. Additionally, flour has been supplied to eight existing bakeries in Gaza, and six desalination plants have been set up, producing 1.2 million gallons per day, benefiting over 600,000 people. The Joint Operations Command also launched Operation "Birds of Goodness" to airlift humanitarian aid to remote areas in northern Gaza that are inaccessible by land, delivering a total of 3,382 tonnes of relief and humanitarian supplies so far.
