S'pore group has sent over 50 tonnes of aid to Gaza
Humanity Matters, a non-profit organisation leading relief efforts from Singapore to war-torn Gaza, has sent more than 50 tonnes of supplies as at July since the start of the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023.
The relief efforts, involving more than 1,000 volunteers from Singapore, have raised at least $679,000, along with more than $120,000 worth of healthcare supplies, and 41 tonnes of food and nutritional items for families suffering amid widespread starvation and malnutrition issues due to the conflict.
The supplies were delivered in batches under tightly coordinated conditions, Humanity Matters said in a Nov 17 update, which provided an overview of its efforts over at least 400 days of escalated conflict in Gaza.
The charity also announced a new initiative, Street Collection For Gaza Relief, which saw volunteers taking to the streets to collect donations from the public.
The initiative was jointly conducted with charity Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation, which has raised more than $10.2 million for relief efforts for affected Gazans.
At least 300 Singaporeans and migrant workers volunteered for the drive on Nov 17. They started at the Ascott Orchard in Cairnhill Road and spread out across Singapore, collecting around $30,500 as at 8pm, according to Humanity Matters.
The funds and supplies collected will be packed and shipped by Dec 1 to Jordan, where they will be transferred to Gaza by land in January 2025.
Humanity Matters said the supplies are being prepared after a new access point into Gaza was opened at the Israeli-controlled Kissufim crossing on Nov 12. The opening enables humanitarian aid trucks to enter following mounting pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, where many are desperate for essentials to survive.
The war in Gaza has claimed more than 43,000 lives and injured at least 100,000 people, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Nov 5.
Close to two million civilians have fled their homes.
Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who joined volunteers on Nov 17, said in an address at Ascott Orchard: “Over the past year, we have been inundated with news and images of immense suffering in Gaza.
“Scenes of destruction, displacement and despair are heartbreaking, and they remind us of the fragility of peace and the devastating impact of conflict.”
The street collection effort was a way Singaporeans can unite to support a common cause, he said, commending volunteers and the organisers for their efforts.
Mr Zaqy said: “The situation in Gaza is undeniably complex, shaped by decades of historical and geopolitical tensions. While we may not have the power to resolve these conflicts, we do have the ability to act with compassion and contribute constructively.”
Humanity Matters has led four relief deployments to Jordan and Egypt since November 2023, said the organisation’s chairman, Ambassador Ong Keng Yong.
Each visit involves many rounds of security checks and coordination with trusted partners to ensure that the supplies are received by those in need.
Mr Ong said: “Over the last one year, we have had over 1,000 volunteers in Singapore stepping forward to help raise funds and pack relief supplies to support our relief operations to Gaza.
“Humanity Matters can only do as much as the support it gets from Singaporeans, and we have been most humbled by the outpour of passion and compassion.”
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