S’pore humanitarian group to send $100,000 worth of relief supplies to aid displaced Gazan civilians
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Palestinians buying food products from vendors at the Rafah refugee camp on Oct 15, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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SINGAPORE – Local interfaith humanitarian organisation Humanity Matters will be sending about $100,000 worth of relief supplies to aid Gazan civilians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war.
The estimated four to five tonnes of relief items, which were funded via contributions from private corporations and individuals, will include supplies such as intravenous fluids, vitamins, winter blankets, and collapsible jerry cans.
They will be packed on Oct 29 by a team of about 100 people from various faith and corporate groups, individuals, and alumni from previous Humanity Matters programmes. The supplies would then be airlifted to Cairo, Egypt.
A relief team of four to five alumni from Humanity Matters’ regional humanitarian training programme will be deployed to Cairo to coordinate with existing working partners there, such as the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and Egyptian Red Crescent Society, for relief efforts. They will procure clean water, dry food rations and cooking utensils there for the displaced Gazans.
The team, which will be in Cairo for one to two weeks, will be led by the organisation’s special adviser, Mr Hassan Ahmad, who has led multiple relief engagements to Gaza.
The humanitarian group had previously carried out a similar effort in 2021,
“In major humanitarian crises, it is key to understand the actual needs of (those affected), and also critical to appreciate the local landscapes including structure, system, mechanics, dynamics and cultures at the affected grounds and its neighbouring areas,” said Mr Hassan.
Mr Hassan noted that prices of relief items in the affected areas – such as medical supplies – may be inflated due to supply and demand, affecting the locals’ access to necessities.
