A third tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza has been airlifted by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) from Singapore to Jordan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced in a joint statement on Mar. 17.
The RSAF will subsequently be commencing airdrop operations staged out of Jordan, with the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
The humanitarian packages contain meal packs and critical supplies including medical supplies and equipment.
They were put together by the government in close consultation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan based on the needs on the ground in Gaza.
The RSAF deployed an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and a C-130 transport aircraft for the mission.
The ministries said they will continue to work with partners in the Middle East as well as humanitarian partners in Singapore to provide assistance to the affected communities.
“Singapore continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and urges all parties to allow for the immediate, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian aid to affected civilians in Gaza,” they added.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Manpower, Zaqy Mohamad were received by the Jordanian Armed Forces Royal Air Force Training Director and Hussein Al Shebli, Secretary-General of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation at the King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan on Mar. 17.
Photo via Hidayat Anuar and Daniel Ho.
Speaking to reporters, Vivian thanked King Abdullah II and the government of Jordan for facilitating Singapore’s humanitarian aid for Gaza, and for inviting Singapore to conduct humanitarian airdrop operations of urgently needed supplies. He added:
"I thank our men and women of the RSAF and [the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)] for taking on this life-saving mission. It is an expression of Singaporeans’ care, concern and compassion for Palestinians in Gaza."
Zaqy added that the SAF continues to support Singapore's humanitarian aid contributions to Gaza.
"We hope that this gesture of compassion from Singapore, especially coming during Ramadan, will bring not just relief but also hope to the people of Gaza that are affected by the war," he said, adding:
"This whole of government effort includes ground-up support from Singaporeans for those affected in Gaza.
I would also like to thank the SAF personnel who have stepped up because this is different from normal operations as they are now operating in the conflict zone. We hope that our servicemen and women always remain vigilant, so they can come home safe to their families and loved ones."
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Top photo by Hidayat Anuar and Daniel Ho