UAE flies in more relief for children in Lebanon

The UAE has dispatched the fifteenth aircraft carrying additional aid to the brotherly Lebanese, delivering 40 tonnes of essential food packages, particularly for children.
The provisions are part of the “UAE Stands with Lebanon” national campaign, which was launched following the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
With this flight, the UAE has delivered 672 tonnes of relief to the brotherly Lebanese since the beginning of October 2024, with close follow-up from His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and under the supervision of Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chair of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council.

Earlier during the day, the UAE announced the successful entry of twelve trucks carrying aid to the brotherly Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, via Erez Crossing (northern Gaza) and Karam Abu Salem crossing (southern Gaza), in cooperation with the American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera).
The new shipment — one of the first to enter the Gaza Strip since October — comprises twelve trucks carrying 150 tonnes of urgent relief and humanitarian aid to meet the needs of 30,000 people.
In this regard, Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development and International Organisations and Member of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, affirmed the wise leadership’s commitment to urgently respond to humanitarian needs and provide essential relief supplies to the people of Lebanon in the face of ongoing adversity and challenging circumstances.
Shamsi emphasised that the continuous UAE humanitarian aid to Gaza reflects the country’s historic and steadfast commitment to support the brotherly Palestinians. The UAE is implementing wide-ranging endeavours to address the disastrous and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip.
The third phase of a delayed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will begin on Saturday, aid organisations said on Friday, after the rollout was derailed by Israeli bombardments, mass displacement and lack of access. These conditions made it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination and to organise campaign activities, according to a joint statement issued today by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “The humanitarian pause necessary to conduct the campaign has been assured; however, the area of the pause has been substantially reduced compared to the first round of vaccination in northern Gaza, conducted in September 2024. It is now limited to just Gaza City, the statement said.
Around 15 000 children under ten years in towns in North Gaza like Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun still remain inaccessible and will be missed during the campaign, compromising its effectiveness. To interrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90% of all children in every community and neighbourhood must be vaccinated. This will be challenging to achieve given the situation.
Prospects of a ceasefire between Israel and its foes Hamas and Hizbollah ran aground on Friday as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 64 people in the Gaza Strip, according to medics in the Palestinian enclave, and bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Later on Friday, the Israeli military said it had killed senior Hamas official Izz Al Din Kassab, describing him as one of the last surviving high-ranking members of Hamas responsible for coordinating with other groups in Gaza, in an airstrike in Khan Younis.
US envoys had been working to secure ceasefires on both fronts ahead of the US presidential election next Tuesday.
But Hamas does not favour a temporary truce, its Al Aqsa Hamas television reported on Friday. The ceasefire proposals failed to meet its conditions that any deal must end the year-long war in Gaza and include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the devastated Palestinian enclave, it said.
The heads of UN humanitarian agencies said on Friday the situation in north Gaza was “apocalyptic” with the entire Palestinian population there at “imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence” as Israel pursues its offensive against regrouping Hamas militants in the area.
WAM / Reuters