The UAE has delivered more than 136,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, valued at over $4.3 billion and equal to about 46 per cent of total international assistance to the territory. Hamoud Al Afari, director of UAE relief operations, said 15,529 transport assets were used, including 26 vessels, 218 aircraft in 81 airdrop missions and thousands of trucks. Three round-the-clock centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Arish and inside Gaza coordinate the effort, backed by 22 charitable institutions, 500 volunteers and 130 medical personnel.
According to gulfnews.com, the United Arab Emirates has delivered more than 136,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Gaza under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, with the aid valued at over $4.3 billion and representing roughly 46 per cent of total international aid provided to the territory.
The figures were disclosed by Hamoud Al Afari, Director of UAE Relief Operations under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. He said the volume was moved through an integrated, multi-route logistics network involving 15,529 transport assets, including aircraft, ships and trucks.
Al Afari said the numbers reflect the UAE’s humanitarian commitment to the Palestinian people and its capacity to mobilise national resources alongside logistical, medical and institutional expertise. He noted that over the past three years the operation has evolved from an emergency response into an integrated humanitarian framework spanning healthcare, water, food, education and shelter, together with medical evacuation programmes, rehabilitation services and social initiatives.
Sea, air and land channels
The maritime relief effort alone involved 26 vessels, according to Al Afari. Of these, 14 ships departed from the UAE, three sailed from Egypt’s Al Arish city and nine set out from Cyprus.
Aircraft and trucks also carried, prepared and delivered supplies through available routes as part of continuous operations providing food, medical supplies and other essential humanitarian assistance.
Al Afari said the operation diversified its delivery methods to reach areas difficult to access by land through the Birds of Goodness initiative, which conducted 81 airdrop missions using 218 aircraft and delivered 4,076 tonnes of humanitarian aid. He described the airdrops as an additional delivery channel within the UAE’s broader relief network.
“The operation also diversified its delivery methods to reach areas that are difficult to access by land through the Birds of Goodness initiative, which carried out 81 airdrop missions involving 218 aircraft and delivered 4,076 tonnes of humanitarian aid.” — Hamoud Al Afari, Director of UAE Relief Operations under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3
Three coordination centres run around the clock
Al Afari said relief management relies on three main centres operating around the clock: the Operations Room in Abu Dhabi, the logistics centre in Al Arish, Egypt, and relief teams deployed inside the Gaza Strip.
The Abu Dhabi Operations Room oversees overall coordination, monitors assignments and directs efforts in cooperation with participating entities. The Al Arish logistics centre receives assistance arriving by air and sea, sorts and stores supplies, and prepares them for onward transportation. Relief teams inside Gaza monitor needs on the ground and identify priorities as conditions evolve.
Al Afari stressed that using multiple transport methods enhanced the flexibility of supply operations and strengthened the ability to respond to changing conditions and restrictions on the ground. He explained that humanitarian logistics extends beyond transport to the receipt, sorting, storage and classification of aid, as well as monitoring beneficiaries’ needs to ensure assistance flows in an organised way and is distributed according to priorities.
“This system is based on a clear division of responsibilities and the integration of expertise and resources, enabling us to respond to changing needs, accelerate decision-making and direct assistance through the most appropriate channels.” — Hamoud Al Afari
Charitable groups and volunteers
More than 22 UAE-based charitable institutions and associations have taken part in the operation, alongside more than 500 volunteers from among Emiratis and residents, Al Afari said.
He noted that approximately 130 doctors, medical professionals and support personnel of different nationalities also volunteered to support healthcare operations. Community participation extended to financial, in-kind, food and medical assistance, as well as transportation, logistical support and field operations.
Al Afari added that integrating these contributions strengthened the operation’s ability to diversify resources and expand the scope of its humanitarian interventions, with UAE teams working closely with humanitarian organisations, partners and volunteers under challenging field conditions.
Social and education initiatives
Al Afari highlighted the mass wedding initiative Thoub Al Farah, or The Dress of Joy, as an example of the operation’s social dimension. The first edition saw more than 54 grooms married, while the second edition, organised in Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip and supported by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works, brought together 300 brides and grooms.
The third edition aims to support the marriage of 250 couples, benefiting a total of 500 people. Al Afari said the initiative goes beyond organising mass weddings by easing financial pressure on families and strengthening social cohesion.
On education, he said the operation has provided school supplies and schoolbags to children and students, in addition to offering 45 scholarships in the UAE, reflecting efforts to help students continue their academic journeys despite the difficult circumstances.
Source: gulfnews.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
