ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will dispatch two cargo planes full of aid and humanitarian relief to Jordan and Egypt and ensure their delivery to the people of Palestine, an official statement said on Tuesday, as the United Nations and international aid groups warn of growing starvation in the Gaza Strip.
The aid comes as Israel’s months-long blockade has crippled the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, where the closure of UN-run distribution centers and restrictions on aid convoys have created severe access challenges.
Under Israel’s new distribution system, many Palestinians are forced to travel long distances, often under humiliating and dangerous conditions, to collect food, with some reportedly coming under fire while waiting in queues.
The collapse of organized aid delivery has deepened fears of famine and widespread malnutrition, particularly among children.
“Under the directive of the Prime Minister, the Government of Pakistan has approved the urgent dispatch of critical humanitarian assistance to support the people of Palestine in distress,” the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement, adding that “the NDMA has been tasked to arrange two chartered cargo aircraft, each with a capacity of 100 tons, to deliver essential aid.”
The NDMA said the special flights, carrying urgently needed rations and sustenance items, will be prepared within the next two days.
It added the aircraft will be routed through Jordan and Egypt to ensure swift delivery to affected areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the NDMA team will see off the flights from Islamabad, while Pakistan’s ambassadors in Jordan and Egypt will coordinate receipt and onward delivery to the Palestinian areas.
The NDMA also reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment” to supporting the Palestinian people during this challenging time.
The UN World Food Programme has warned that nearly 100,000 women and children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition, with about a third of the enclave’s population reportedly “not eating for days.”
Doctors Without Borders has accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon” in its military campaign.
Gaza’s health ministry estimates that more than 60,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since the war began in October 2023.
