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RSAF plane carrying aid to Gaza civilians lands in Egypt; SAF to support humanitarian assistance

2023-11-30 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) stands ready to support the Republic’s humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said in a Facebook post on Nov 30.

Mindef said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) plane carrying supplies for civilians in Gaza landed in Egypt in the afternoon (Singapore time) on Nov 30, around 12 hours after departing from Changi Air Base (East).

The A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport had left past midnight with 46 SAF personnel, who included pilots, aircrew, engineers and army security personnel.

The aircraft carried supplies such as medicine, sanitation items and food.

After landing at El Arish International Airport, the supplies were handed to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), which will transport and distribute them to civilians in Gaza.

In its post, Mindef said the aid effort was led by the SAF’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (Changi RHCC) in close collaboration with the Egyptian government, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Health, the SAF and non-governmental organisations including the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief and Relief Singapore.

The handover was witnessed by Singapore’s Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Goh. The Singapore Embassy in Cairo thanked the Egyptian government and ERC for helping with the delivery of the humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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Mindef added that Ambassador Goh and Singapore’s military doctors also held discussions with Egypt’s Ministry of Health, the ERC and United Nations agencies to better understand the situation on the ground.

“Singaporeans are deeply concerned about the welfare of the Palestinian people, and we hope our small contribution helps alleviate some of the suffering in Gaza.

“We are ready to do more,” said the embassy in a Facebook post.

Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said in a separate Facebook post that the Changi RHCC will continue to work with other agencies to provide relief as the crisis evolves.

It led efforts to coordinate and consolidate the aid items after MFA engaged the ERC to determine which supplies were most needed.

Launched in 2014, the Changi RHCC sent disaster relief teams and emergency supplies to Nepal in 2015 after it was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, and to Laos in 2018 following flash floods caused by a dam collapse.

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Mindef had earlier issued a joint statement with MFA which said that the Government deployed the aircraft because of the urgent need for aid while supply lines remained open.

The two ministries added that Singaporeans “have responded with heartfelt generosity” and their contributions have exceeded $7 million in cash and in-kind donations.

More than two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced as a result of Israel’s bombardments, with officials putting the death toll at more than 15,000 Palestinians since the Israel-Hamas war began seven weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Israel said 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 240 taken hostage after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct 7. The attack prompted retaliatory strikes from Israel, including a ground offensive.

Both sides are currently in the midst of a truce that has since been extended for a seventh day.