Singapore Red Cross Contributes Additional S$1.2 Million to Support Palestinian Evacuees in Egypt
CAIRO, Sept 21 (VoM): The Singapore Red Cross has handed over S$1.2 million worth of humanitarian aid to the Egyptian Red Crescent to support Palestinian evacuees, with part of the funds set aside to procure a mobile education unit for children displaced by the conflict in Gaza.
The latest tranche of assistance includes S$440,000 worth of tents and S$758,000 in funds for essential medical and educational services. Around 4,000 evacuees and their companions will benefit from medical consumables and equipment, while the mobile education unit will provide learning opportunities for some 2,000 Palestinian children housed across 11 accommodation centers in Egypt.
This marks Singapore’s 10th round of humanitarian support for Gaza since the escalation of the conflict, bringing the country’s total contribution to S$23.3 million.
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, currently on a state visit to Cairo, witnessed the symbolic handover at the Egyptian Red Crescent headquarters on Sept 21. He became the first head of state to visit the humanitarian body, which has been coordinating aid deliveries into Gaza from Egypt.
Dr. Amal Emam, chief executive of the Egyptian Red Crescent, said the mobile education unit would help children between the ages of five and 18 regain access to educational opportunities lost during the war. “Through this mobile unit, we will not only provide food and shelter but also learning opportunities that they have been deprived of for the past two years,” she said.
Dean and group director of the Singapore Red Cross Academy, Sahari Ani, added that non-formal education and life skills training would be offered to restore a sense of normalcy for displaced children. The supplied tents are also expected to play a critical role as colder weather approaches.
Dr. Amal emphasized that while the aid may be “a drop in the ocean” compared to the overwhelming humanitarian needs in Gaza, every effort counts. “That’s why we appreciate and recognize the support coming from Singapore,” she said.