For over 702 days of continuous support, the humanitarian initiative “Falcon of Humanity 3” has provided relief to the Palestinian brothers in Gaza, with aid surpassing $1.8 billion.
Launching on November 5, 2023, and guided by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, this initiative symbolizes the UAE’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian efforts in assisting those in need. The UAE is recognized as one of the top countries globally in providing aid to Gaza, fulfilling its leadership’s call to stand by the Palestinian people during this humanitarian crisis, with humanitarian and medical assistance delivered by air, land, and sea.
The “Falcon of Humanity” operation stands out for its profound humanitarian impact, reaching hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries and delivering assistance to Palestinian territories via air bridges and secured land routes, despite logistical and political challenges. Many injured individuals were evacuated for treatment in UAE hospitals, under the supervision of specialized medical teams.
These relief efforts and significant contributions emphasize the UAE’s leadership in international humanitarian work, uniting regional and global efforts to alleviate suffering in crisis-stricken areas.
Immediate Assistance
From the onset of conflict, the UAE swiftly began providing aid to the Palestinian people, being one of the first countries to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Focused on immediate relief for affected families and vital health sectors, “Falcon of Humanity 3” marks one of the largest relief operations in the region.
With the operation’s initiation, the UAE worked to support displaced families, sending numerous ships filled with thousands of tons of essential goods. Thousands of trucks entered Gaza, distributing supplies in displacement camps that included tents, diverse food packages, clothing, flour, cleaning supplies, dates, and basic necessities for families, aiming to ease their challenges during these difficult times.
“Birds of Goodness”
As of August 26, a total of 81 air drops of humanitarian and relief supplies over Gaza have been conducted by the UAE under the “Birds of Goodness” initiative, in cooperation with Egypt and Jordan, highlighting the UAE’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and mitigating their humanitarian suffering, particularly in areas accessible only by air due to security concerns.
The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defense announced on February 29, 2024, the launch of the “Birds of Goodness” operation to drop humanitarian aid using UAE and Egyptian Air Force planes in northern Gaza. The first drop, executed by joint crews from both nations, transported about 36 tons of food and medical supplies to Jabalia and Beit Lahiya.
Since its inception, the “Birds of Goodness” operations have completed the triangular logistics routes for delivering UAE assistance to Gaza by land, sea, and air. This diverse approach has resulted in UAE aid comprising 44% of the overall international assistance to Gaza to date, according to UN reports.
The “Birds of Goodness” initiative has expedited access to urgent aid for those in need in Gaza, with drops guided using GPS-equipped boxes to ensure timely delivery to specified locations.
Ongoing Support
Volunteer teams involved in “Falcon of Humanity 3” continue to actively distribute humanitarian aid to families across multiple provinces and shelters, providing essential supplies such as tents, winter clothing, and diverse food and health packages, including packages containing basic children’s essentials.
The UAE has also not hesitated to deliver urgent assistance to municipalities and local bodies in Gaza, providing multiple water tankers and sewage trucks, along with essential equipment for municipalities, and constructing numerous water purification stations to supply the region with adequate water.
Health Initiatives
Among its initiatives in support of Gaza’s residents, the UAE has launched a prosthetics initiative under “Falcon of Humanity 3” aimed at aiding those injured and addressing the needs of amputees due to the conflict. This initiative seeks to provide advanced prosthetics, significantly improving the victims’ quality of life and helping them regain some mobility and independence. The initiative additionally includes psychological support and medical rehabilitation to aid beneficiaries in adapting to their new circumstances.
Essential Supplies
The UAE has played a crucial role in supporting the damaged health sector in Gaza, where many hospitals have suspended operations. Thousands of tons of medical supplies, including medicines, first aid, equipment, and medical devices, have been delivered, alongside efforts to rehabilitate and expand hospitals and health centers affected by the conflict.
Following directives from the leadership, the UAE has initiated a program to evacuate children and cancer patients from Gaza for specialized medical treatment in the UAE, covering treatment costs and providing medications and medical supplies to ease their sufferings amidst the shortage of medical resources.
Vaccination Campaign
The UAE has also launched a polio vaccination campaign as part of its ongoing efforts to provide relief to the Palestinian people, particularly the children, in response to the challenging humanitarian conditions.
This campaign, conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNRWA, aims to deliver two doses of the polio vaccine to over 640,000 children under the age of 10 in Gaza to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the territory.
Medical Facilities
Since the escalation of violence in Gaza following the events of October 7, 2023, the UAE has tirelessly worked to cease hostilities, protect all civilians, and seek a pathway to comprehensive peace, while also providing humanitarian and relief support to Gaza’s residents and caring for injured individuals through the establishment of a field hospital in southern Gaza, staffed by a UAE medical team with a capacity of 200 beds and over 100 healthcare professionals, which has treated thousands since its opening on December 2, 2023. Additionally, a floating hospital was launched off the coast of Al Arish, providing 100 beds and began offering medical services on February 26, 2024, welcoming thousands of sick cases.
Financial Assistance
In October 2023, the UAE provided urgent aid to the Palestinian people amounting to $20 million, amidst dire humanitarian conditions faced by the Palestinian community.
In February 2024, the UAE announced a $5 million allocation to support the efforts of Sigird Kaag, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza.
Following leadership directives, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation announced a grant of AED 43 million ($11.7 million) to provide direct food assistance to the residents of Gaza, in collaboration with the World Food Programme.
Allocations
According to an official report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE has allocated $15 million in support of the “Amaltheia Fund” announced by Cyprus to promote the marine corridor initiative between Cyprus and Gaza, enhancing the flow of humanitarian assistance and providing flexible funding tools to better respond to the needs of Gaza’s population.
Additionally, the UAE has cooperated with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Nations, and various international donor entities to deliver over 2,176 tons of food supplies by sea to Gaza, partnering with the American Near East Refugee Aid agency.
In an unprecedented achievement, the UAE and the Global Central Kitchen Foundation successfully delivered 300 tons of food aid to Gaza by sea, reaching northern Gaza.
The UAE has also supplied multiple automated bakeries to meet the daily needs of over 72,000 people, alongside providing flour to many existing bakeries in Gaza for the daily sustenance of residents.
Satellite Internet
Furthermore, the UAE has facilitated the provision of “Starlink” service at the field hospital to offer immediate medical consultations through real-time video communication. The “Compassion for Gaza” campaign was also launched to gather humanitarian aid parcels, resulting in the collection of over 71,000 parcels, with the participation of 24,000 volunteers and 20 humanitarian organizations.
Various UAE charitable organizations have executed numerous initiatives and projects, including drilling water wells and providing trucks loaded with flour to restart bakeries that had ceased operations.
Schools supplies were distributed for students as part of a program to support education in Gaza, in addition to feeding programs at displacement camps to tackle the hunger crisis in the region. The “Water Disaster Relief” plan was implemented to repair and operate defunct central wells across all provinces of Gaza.