EU coordinates further 6 Humanitarian Air Bridge flights for Gaza

The EU continues to work around the clock to channel humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

A further 6 EU humanitarian air bridge flights are now scheduled for the coming days. Of these, 2 flights from Brindisi, Italy, are scheduled to depart today and tomorrow carrying 55 tonnes of items donated from the EU to the World Food Programme (WFP).

The cargo includes logistical items such a mobile storage unit, cold-chain supplies, and other items. It will increase the capacity of humanitarian organisations to ensure a more efficient response for people in Gaza.

A further 3 flights are due to depart next week from Bucharest carrying shelter material, such as tents and mattresses, donated by Romania.

The remaining flight will depart at the end of the month from Ostend, Belgium, carrying supplies from UN agencies and other humanitarian partners.

In total, this brings total EU air bridge flights to 14 in the past weeks with over 550 tonnes of emergency aid for the people of Gaza being transported to Egypt for quick deployment across the Rafah border crossing point.

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. While the European Commission has quadrupled its humanitarian funding in the last month, we are also providing logistical support to our humanitarian partners on the ground, including by running an EU humanitarian air bridge operation to Egypt, transporting essential humanitarian supplies intended for the people in Gaza. But the biggest challenge for the Gazan civilian population as well as our humanitarian partners is a dramatically insufficient and unsafe access of humanitarian aid.”

“I cannot reiterate enough how urgent it is that the warring parties finally heed the numerous calls to ensure unrestricted and sustained humanitarian access, including desperately needed fuel to run hospitals, bakeries, water stations and humanitarian action. And I most deeply deplore the extremely high number of deaths among aid workers there. To ensure their safety during their lifesaving efforts, there is no way around but for warring parties to most rapidly clearly define and respect meaningful humanitarian pauses,” he continued.

President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The European Union has always been the largest international donor to the Palestinian people. We remain committed to the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza. This is why we are organising more aid flights to bring help to as many civilians as possible. 8 flights carrying much needed supplies have already reached Egypt, and 6 more are scheduled for the coming days. At the same time, we are working on complementary routes, such as a maritime corridor.” 

Background

The EU has quadrupled its humanitarian assistance to Gaza in 2023 to over €100 million, aiming to enable our partners to continue their invaluable humanitarian work.

The European Council Conclusions, adopted on 26 October, called for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs.

The EU has launched this Humanitarian Air Bridge operation in aid to the people affected by the crisis, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian cargo supplied by partners.

Since 16 October, 8 flights carrying over 372 tonnes of aid reached Egypt. Most of these supplies have already been delivered into Gaza by EU humanitarian partner organisations on the ground.

Furthermore, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated to offer support for repatriation flights from Egypt and Israel.

The EU has been providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need since 2000, supporting vulnerable families affected by emergencies and shocks.