Two planes carrying 45 tonnes of humanitarian aid for Gaza have departed from Ostend Airport, Belgium and Dubai, as part of the EU’s air-bridge initiative.
The flights, both heading for El-Arich in Egypt, contain largely medical supplies and items for the global food programme, according to the European Commission’s humanitarian aid office (DG ECHO).
The plane from Dubai is also transporting logistical equipment such as refrigerators and containers.
"We have concluded eight humanitarian flights, which total over 400 tonnes of aid," said Balazs Ujvari, a spokesperson for the European Commission. This aid includes critical survival items such as shelter, food, water, and various sanitation supplies.
The Commission’s intention is for the Egyptian Red Crescent to distribute the items once they arrive in Egypt. When circumstances allow, the cargo is transported to Gaza. The spokesperson continued to emphasise the need to expand humanitarian access, stating that quantity or type limitations violate international humanitarian law.
Further flights from Ostend are due over the coming weeks, as the airport’s location and flexibility make it ideal for medical supplies, according to Tom De Smedt, a spokesperson for the Commission’s representation in Belgium.
EU crisis management Commissioner, Janez Lenarcic, was in Ostend on Tuesday to oversee the loading of supplies from Doctors of the World, the United Nations Population Fund and France. In response to the grim humanitarian situation in Gaza, Lenarcic remarked the aid allocation for Gaza and the West Bank has been quadrupled.
However, reaching the population in Gaza remains "a challenge," said Lenarcic. The number of trucks permitted into Gaza is far too few and there are significant issues with fuel access.
A conference themed around providing humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population is scheduled for Thursday in Paris. The European Commission will be represented, and potential maritime routes to Gaza are expected to be discussed, indicated the chief spokesperson of the European executive on Tuesday.
