Belgium is joining forces with the European Union to transport humanitarian supplies to Gaza, the European Commission announced on Thursday. It will coordinate the transport with the Defence Ministry and the City of Brussels.
The aid consists of 240 tonnes of supplies collected by the Brussels charity "Human Smile," including hygiene articles, mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows, as well as powdered milk for babies and other forms of aid for Palestinians in need, Belga News Agency reports.
The Commission is supporting the delivery of the cargo and covering the transport costs of the operation. The aid will be transported to Jordan by sea and delivered to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) before being transported to Gaza.
This new delivery is in addition to the more than 2,600 tonnes transported to date by 55 flights in the EU's humanitarian airlift.
Alleviating the suffering
"To tackle such a dramatic crisis we need to think outside the box and explore new ways of working together to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza," said European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic.
"It is essential that all land routes for aid to Gaza are opened and used to full capacity," he added. "I urge all parties to allow rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza and within the Gaza Strip."
For 2023 and 2024, the EU has allocated more than €290 million in humanitarian aid to Palestine, focusing on sectors such as food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, and protection.
