WHO and Dubai’s International Humanitarian City to send life-saving health supplies to Gaza Strip
21 February, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Amid a worsening health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) logistics hub in Dubai, in partnership with Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, will be delivering critical health supplies worth over US$ 1.7 million to the Gaza Strip.
In total, 80 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines, including insulin, are being delivered through a temporary air bridge between the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Several air rotations are anticipated to deliver the supplies, which will support about 2 million people in the Gaza Strip.
“WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai provides a lifeline to countries affected by health emergencies across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond. As the health crisis in the Gaza Strip unfolds and as hostilities in Rafah escalate, these medicines are critical for people whose access to medical care has been severely restricted owing to shortages facing the health system as a whole,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
“WHO is grateful for the support of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, the Government of Dubai and the Government of the United Arab Emirates to deliver life-saving supplies to the world’s most vulnerable populations in their greatest time of need,” Dr Balkhy added.
Rafah’s population has increased five-fold to 1.5 million as it now houses half of Gaza’s displaced people. Still more families continue to arrive