Singapore delivers 9 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza

SINGAPORE - A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft departed for Jordan on the morning of Feb 12 to deliver some nine tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The RSAF Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport left Changi Air Base (East) carrying medical, food and hygiene supplies bound for Jordan.

Aside from delivering the aid, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) planners accompanying the mission will assess the needs and feasibility of contributing in other ways to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, such as the potential deployment of medical teams, said the Ministry of Defence.

At a send-off ceremony in Changi, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore is working with Jordanian partners to deliver the aid to Gaza.

The SAF’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre led the effort to coordinate and consolidate the aid items, which will be delivered in Amman to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation by Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad.

“We hope that in this window when the truce still holds, that these supplies will be able to reach the civilians, who need them so desperately,” said Dr Balakrishnan.

A six-week ceasefire

agreed between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Jan 19, where both sides agreed to pause fighting following 15 months of bloodshed.

Besides the exchange of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian detainees held in Israel, the phased accord allows for humanitarian aid to be trucked into Gaza.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence said the supplies are from the Ministry of Health and non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners Relief SG, Mercy Relief, and Caritas Humanitarian Aid & Relief Initiatives Singapore.

Dr Balakrishnan said the NGOs had initiated collection points and fund-raising efforts, and that Singaporeans had donated generously.

Relief SG chief executive Jonathan How said response to the NGO’s call for donations went beyond what he had expected, and he thanked Singaporeans who provided relief items during the organisation’s two-day donation drive.

This latest assistance package is

Singapore’s seventh tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza

since the war started in October 2023.

The Republic’s six earlier tranches of aid to Gaza total over $19 million.

Also present at the ceremony were Jordan’s Ambassador to Singapore Samer Anton Naber, Singapore’s non-resident Ambassador to Jordan Shamsher Zaman, Singapore’s representative to the Palestinian authority Hawazi Daipi and NGO representatives.

Mr Zaqy said Singapore is watching very closely the developments in the Middle East, and that the humanitarian assistance will hopefully bring relief to Gazans, especially with Ramadan around the corner.

He thanked the Jordanian government and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation for organising the relief distribution and taking the aid to Gaza, and added that on his visit, he would explore other opportunities to assist the people of Gaza in this time of need.

“We hope that there can be lasting peace, and that a resolution and reconstruction of Gaza are possible,” he said.

Mindef said in the evening that the RSAF had completed its airlift to Jordan, and that it was assessing how to work with international partners and stakeholders to further support humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

In its statement, SMS Zaqy said he would meet his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts in the next few days to explore possible opportunities, such as the deployment of medical teams.

Besides delivering the various tranches of humanitarian aid, the RSAF had in March 2024 also conducted a

series of airdrop missions over Gaza.

Using a C-130 transport aircraft, it had dropped more than 20 tonnes of food supplies, equivalent to over 59,000 meals.

A new round of fund raising will be conducted by local charity Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation during the holy month of Ramadan, said Dr Balakrishnan.

“Singapore may be far away, but we do what we can to help. This reflects compassion from the diversity across Singapore society,” he said.

“We are grateful that we can, in our own small way, make a difference to the lives and health of our brothers and sisters in Palestine.”