With over 10,000 tons.. Egypt launches the 91st convoy of "Zad Al-Izza" aid crossing from Rafah to Gaza

As part of the ongoing Egyptian humanitarian efforts to support the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Red Crescent launched this morning, Wednesday, the 91st convoy of the "Zad Al-Izza.. from Egypt to Gaza" initiative, loaded with tons of urgent aid including food, medical, and petroleum supplies, in addition to essential winter necessities.

The Egyptian Red Crescent stated in its announcement that the convoy carries "over 10,000 tons of urgent humanitarian aid, which includes 6,200 tons of food baskets, more than 2,600 tons of essential medical and relief supplies needed by the sector, and about 1,200 tons of petroleum materials." The statement emphasized that part of the aid is allocated to face the harsh weather conditions, noting that the convoy "included basic winter needs to alleviate the suffering of the residents in the cold weather and rain, which included more than 45,000 blankets, 25,900 winter clothing items, and 10,225 tents to shelter the affected."

This comes as part of a long support path, as the first "Zad Al-Izza" convoys were launched on July 27, carrying thousands of tons of diverse aid. The Egyptian Red Crescent confirmed that it has been present at the border since the beginning of the crisis as a national mechanism to coordinate and facilitate aid, noting that "the Rafah crossing has not been closed from the Egyptian side at all," and that it "has continued its readiness in all logistical centers and its ongoing efforts to allow the entry of aid that has exceeded half a million tons of humanitarian and relief aid, with the efforts of 35,000 volunteers."

The launch of the convoy coincided with warnings of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the sector, as Palestinian sources reported through media outlets days ago that "the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating significantly and worsening day by day, especially with the onset of the winter season," and pointed to "a severe shortage of essential food items such as flour, oil, sugar, rice, and baby milk," warning that "malnutrition threatens the lives of about 50,000 infants under one year old, and about 300,000 children under five."