In a heartfelt gesture of solidarity and humanitarian aid, Dubai billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, the founder and chairman of Al Habtoor Group, has announced a significant donation to the people of Gaza. The initiative will provide fully equipped ambulances, complete with the latest medical technology, to support the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
The first batch of these life-saving vehicles was recently delivered to the Palestinian Red Crescent through the Egyptian Rafah crossing by Islam Kamal Ghoneim, the CEO of Al Habtoor Group in Egypt. This contribution comes at a crucial time, as the Gaza Strip grapples with the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with the toll on human lives, including women and children, surpassing 14,800 casualties.
Additionally, the UAE government has further demonstrated its commitment to aiding the people of Gaza by ordering the establishment of a field hospital in the Strip, aimed at delivering essential medical support to Palestinians in need.
Last week, the UAE government flew in Palestinians injured in the war to provide them with medical services. As per the directives of the UAE President, 1,000 children injured in the fighting and 1,000 cancer patients for medical care will be brought in for further treatment.
The UAE has also announced building three desalination plants, supplying tonnes of food, medical and other aid supplies for the war-hit people of Palestine.
Amidst truce between Israel and Hamas, the UN and other global humanitarian bodies are rushing aid supplies such as fuel, cooking gas, food and medicines for Palestinians.
“Standing by our brothers in the Gaza Strip, especially in these circumstances, is an imperative duty for every Muslim and Arab and for everyone who takes human values as their calling, and we have been committed to that since the 1970s,” said Khalaf Al Habtoor.
Ghoneim hoped that these ambulances would provide immediate support to improve the health conditions of the people in Gaza.
Previously, Khalaf Al Habtoor made a contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to support Palestinian refugees in Syria, employing 200 Palestinian workers in the West Bank, donated 103 cars to the service sectors in Palestine and donated Dh3.7 million to the Carter Center to bring peace to the Middle East.
In December 2022, the Dubai-billionaire philanthropist offered to support 100 female Afghan students in Dubai after the Taliban government in Kabul said that female students would not be allowed to study at universities in Afghanistan.