UAE gives US$3.4m 'Truck Parcel' to Gaza

A fleet of vehicles are on their way as a gift from the UAE to Gaza

The United Arab Emirates is presenting the people of Gaza with an unusual Ramadan gift – in the form of 121 vehicles.

The vehicles mostly comprise of ambulance-type Mitsubishi vans, but there are also buses of various sizes, pick-up trucks and even cars in the package.

Fahad A. Rahman Bin Sultan – a manager at the UAE Red Crescent Humanitarian Logistics Centre said “It is the first time that any country has made such a donation of vehicles to Palestine.” He revealed that none other than the UAE’s president HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had come up with the idea after learning that there was a serious shortage of roadworthy vehicles in the troubled Gaza strip, meaning that doctors on call couldn’t react fast enough, ambulances were in short supply, and other groups, such as the area’s many orphans, couldn’t get out due to a lack of community buses. “All the vehicles are new 2009 models, worth around AED13 million (US$3.4 million),” Bin Sultan added.

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The motors will travel by road transporters first to Amman, Jordan, where they will meet a UAE delegation which has brought a food package as well as some Eid gifts from Egypt.

Sheikh Khalifa is well known for his philanthropy in Gaza. He is currently personally funding a construction project of more than 3,000 new homes in the formerly occupied region of Gush Katif which returned to Arab ownership in 2005.