Jordan’s armed forces conducted six food aid airdrops across the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Jordan News Agency reported.
The operation was carried out by the Royal Jordanian Air Force in conjunction with planes from Egypt, the US, Germany and Singapore.
The operation marks Singapore’s first involvement in the airdrops and highlights Jordan’s efforts to broaden international collaboration to provide critical aid to the Strip.
In a CNN interview earlier this month, Queen Rania explained the reason for the airdrops in an area where the UN has reported a widespread food crisis.
“We found that after trying so hard in vain to persuade Israel to open the land access points, that we had to do something. We couldn’t just sit idle and watch people starving,” she said.
She added the airdrops were desperate measures to address a desperate situation, describing them as “drops in an ocean of unmet needs.”
Queen Rania echoed King Abdullah’s comments that the airdrops were far from sufficient and could not replace the large-scale humanitarian access needed to deal with the issue.
The Jordanian army reiterated its commitment to continuous support efforts, including an air bridge from Marka Airport in Amman to El Arish International Airport in North Sinai which facilitates both airdrops over Gaza and the organization of ground aid convoys.
Source: Arab News
