UAE Airlifts Over 60 Tonnes of School Supplies to Support 25,000 Children in Gaza

The UAE has dispatched thousands of school bags and educational supplies for more than 25,000 children in Gaza to support learning in the Palestinian enclave. Sharjah Charity International, working alongside the UAE’s Operation Gallant Knight 3, loaded the supplies onto a cargo plane departing Sharjah International Airport for the UAE’s humanitarian aid logistics centre in the Egyptian city of Al Arish.

Weighing over 60 tonnes, the shipment includes school bags, pens, notebooks, erasers, sharpeners, and other essential stationery. This initiative forms part of the nation's ongoing efforts to assist Gazans facing hardships due to the conflict.

Mohammed Al Shareef, spokesman for Operation Gallant Knight 3, informed The National that more than 25,000 pupils in Gaza will benefit from the contribution. "We all know the beginning of the academic year is near, and we want to support pupils in Gaza and the education sector," he stated, reaffirming that the UAE remains committed to standing with its Palestinian brothers under all conditions.

Hmoud Al Afari, director of UAE relief operations, explained that the campaign, titled 'Through Education We Rise', aims to sustain education in the enclave and help students continue their studies despite difficult humanitarian circumstances. He noted that the initiative provides an opportunity for children to resume normal learning and build a better future.

The current relief effort highlights the broad scale of Emirates-led humanitarian campaigns, which accounted for more than 46 per cent of global aid delivered to Gaza. Since Operation Gallant Knight 3 was launched under the directive of President Sheikh Mohammed in November 2023, the UAE has delivered over Dh14.2 billion ($3.89 billion) in aid, alongside establishing medical facilities and medical evacuation programmes for Gazan patients.