KSrelief sends fourth aid shipment to Palestine

The Fourth KSRelief aid ship sets sail from Jeddah to Port Said, Egypt, loaded with 250 containers of food and medical aid for Gaza. (Supplied)

• Two planes land in Egypt with 32 tons of supplies, ambulances
• 16 trucks carrying aid from Saudi Arabia entered the Rafah Border Crossing on Dec. 15

JEDDAH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief sent its fourth shipment of aid to Gaza on Saturday. The ship departed from Jeddah Islamic Port heading to Port Said in Egypt carrying 250 containers, of which 225 contain medical supplies. The other 25 contain food supplies and provisions for shelters.
In total, according to KSrelief spokesperson Samer Al-Jetaily, the ship is carrying around 1,200 tons of aid and was expected to reach Port Said within 48 hours of its departure. From there, the aid will be transported by land to the Rafah Border Crossing.
Al-Jetaily told Arab News that 16 trucks carrying aid from Saudi Arabia entered the Rafah Border Crossing on Dec. 15, bringing the total of trucks so far to 57.
Al-Jetaily added: “With the departure of the fourth ship, the total aid sent to the Palestinian brothers so far exceeds 4,500 tons.” That aid includes 20 fully equipped ambulances, which will serve as primary care clinics as well as to rescue and transport the injured.
He continued: “The major challenge facing world aid to Gaza is the entry restriction imposed by the Israeli occupation. We currently have 100 trucks waiting at the Rafah Border Crossing for entry at any moment.”
In addition to providing aid by sea, KSrelief has been conducting an ongoing airlift operation. The 29th and 30th aid planes, sent in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, arrived at El-Arish International Airport in Egypt on Saturday carrying 32 tons of relief supplies, including two ambulances.
“The goal is to save the lives of our Palestinian brothers and alleviate their suffering in this ongoing humanitarian disaster. There is still an increasing need, and the need multiplies with each passing day, especially in light of the growing number of martyrs and deaths,” Al-Jetaily said.
“We hope that countries around the world can contribute to a cease-fire,” he continued. “This is the diplomatic request of Saudi Arabia and the world. We hope for the opening of the door for aid to enter without conditions to reduce the magnitude of deaths and suffering.”