Since the outbreak of renewed conflict in Gaza in October
2023, the humanitarian crisis has deepened at a staggering pace, leaving
millions in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical care.
Unlike many nations whose pledges take months to
materialize, the UAE’s aid arrives swiftly, whether by land convoys braving
border delays, ships unloading tonnes of supplies, or airlifts reaching cut-off
communities.
By mid-2025, the UAE’s contributions had surpassed $1.2
billion, delivering more than 65,000 tonnes of essentials, operating field
hospitals, evacuating thousands for treatment, and building infrastructure like
desalination plants and mobile bakeries.
This blog explores not just the scale of the UAE’s
assistance, but the methods, coordination, and strategic priorities that make
it a cornerstone of Gaza’s humanitarian response.
1. How Much Aid Has the UAE Contributed to Gaza?
The scale of the UAE’s support for Gaza reveals both
humanitarian commitment and logistical ambition. Between October
2023 and November 2024, the UAE contributed $828 million in aid, which
astonishingly represented 42% of all international assistance delivered to Gaza
during that period.
By March 2025, the UAE’s efforts had scaled even further,
surpassing $1.2 billion worth of aid, which included more than 65,000 tonnes of
essential supplies.
Importantly, the UAE’s aid led in speed and access. While
many countries pledged funding, the UAE made good on its promises swiftly. Land
convoys crossed Rafah, aid ships docked at Gaza's ports, and medical flights
evacuated injured civilians. All kept moving even as borders shifted and
infrastructure collapsed.
2. Modes of UAE Aid Delivery: Land, Sea, and Air
The UAE’s humanitarian campaign for Gaza, carried out under Operation
Chivalrous Knight 3, stands out not only for its scale but also for its
strategic use of multiple delivery channels. Through land, sea, and air routes,
the UAE ensured that aid reached Gaza even when one pathway was delayed or
blocked.
Land: Over 3,495 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, each loaded with high-demand essentials such as food parcels, tents, blankets, water purification systems, and generators.
These convoys have been a consistent flow of relief into the
strip, braving long inspection delays and volatile border conditions to deliver
hope where it’s needed most.
Sea: The UAE has also harnessed its maritime
capabilities, deploying 14 humanitarian
ships, including the flagship Khalifa vessel, to carry several thousand tonnes
of aid.
These ships transported bulky and heavy relief items like
large medical equipment, field hospital units, and food stocks in quantities
that trucks and aircraft could never match alone.
Air: Speed was equally vital. Through 519 airlifts and
over 600 air missions, the UAE delivered rapid-response aid, from urgent
medical supplies to emergency shelters.
Air routes proved crucial for reaching Gaza during times
when land and sea transport slowed due to security or weather conditions.
3. Medical Evacuations: Saving Lives Beyond Borders
Up to May
2025, a total of 2,630 patients and their family members were safely
transferred from Gaza to the UAE for advanced treatment in state-of-the-art
hospitals.
These were not routine hospital transfers, many involved
critically injured civilians, burn victims, and patients suffering from
conditions that local facilities, crippled by conflict, could no longer treat.
Earlier data from January
2025 recorded 2,127 evacuees, with a significant proportion being children
and cancer patients. Pediatric wards in Gaza had long been overwhelmed, and the
war’s strain on infrastructure meant that chemotherapy machines, intensive care
units, and surgical theaters were either destroyed or operating far beyond
capacity.
These evacuations are not measured in dollars but in
something far more valuable, time and life itself. Each airlift represented
hours of delicate coordination: securing safe passage through volatile zones,
ensuring medical equipment was in place mid-flight, and arranging immediate
hospital admissions upon landing in the UAE.
4. UAE Field Hospitals and Infrastructure Support
At the heart of this effort is a field hospital inside Gaza, which has treated over 50,000 patients since its establishment. Staffed by teams of doctors, nurses, and emergency responders, the hospital has become a critical lifeline, especially for trauma care, surgeries, and emergency pediatric treatment.
With Gaza’s main hospitals often running at triple capacity,
this facility has helped absorb the overwhelming patient load.
But the UAE didn’t stop there. Recognizing that access to
healthcare isn’t always possible in war-torn cities, a floating hospital
anchored near AI
Arish Port was deployed, serving more than 10,000 patients.
Beyond healthcare, the UAE’s infrastructure support has
targeted life’s most basic necessities: clean water, bread, and hot meals. Six
desalination plants now provide 2 million gallons of drinkable water daily,
addressing one of Gaza’s most severe shortages.
Hunger relief has been another major priority. The UAE has
deployed 21 mobile bakeries to produce fresh bread and 50 charitable kitchens
serving thousands of daily meals.
5. Recent Aid: Convoys and Medical Supplies
In
August 2025, the UAE dispatched a convoy of 11 trucks carrying 65 tonnes of
critical medical supplies, in close coordination with the World Health
Organization (WHO).
These shipments included surgical kits, antibiotics,
emergency medicines, and other essentials to keep Gaza’s overstretched hospitals
running. For many patients, these supplies meant the difference between
receiving treatment or being turned away.
This mission followed an earlier large-scale delivery when
214 trucks crossed into Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah checkpoint, transporting
4,565 tonnes of food, water, shelter equipment, and hygiene kits.
Every day, these logistical feats bridge critical gaps in
healthcare, nutrition, and shelter for tens of thousands of people.
While the numbers are impressive, the true impact is felt in
the quiet relief of a mother finding medicine for her child or a doctor
performing surgery because supplies arrived just in time.
6. Impact of Delays and Blockades on Population Health
By late 2024, an estimated 12,000 patients urgently required
medical evacuation abroad for treatments unavailable in the Strip, ranging from
advanced surgeries and cancer therapies to critical care for severe injuries.
Yet, only 436 patients were successfully transferred during that period, leaving the overwhelming majority trapped in an environment where medical resources are stretched to breaking point.
The consequences of these delays are devastating and
far-reaching. Untreated injuries often lead to permanent disability or death.
Infectious diseases, which could be managed or contained in normal conditions,
spread more quickly in overcrowded shelters and under-resourced hospitals.
Meanwhile, malnutrition and hunger compound the health
crisis, particularly among children, whose growth and immunity are already
compromised.
7. Coordinating with Global Partners
The United Arab Emirates has worked to align its Gaza relief
efforts with respected global partners, including the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and
several major international NGOs.
This collaboration is critical for two reasons: it ensures
safe passage for humanitarian convoys and facilitates the orderly evacuation of
vulnerable civilians, especially the sick and injured.
The geopolitics surrounding Gaza can make coordination a
delicate balancing act. In a notable recent development, the UAE declined to
participate in a U.S.-backed Gaza aid mechanism, which was criticized by
UN-affiliated partners as overly restrictive.
A Model of Humanitarian Commitment
The UAE’s 2025 initiative in Gaza has been marked by
generous funding, inventive logistics, and coordinated diplomacy. From $828
million in aid supporting 42% of needs, to the delivery of 65,000+ tonnes via
land, sea, and air, each effort demonstrates unwavering resolve.
Medical evacuations, field hospitals, airdrops, and
essential infrastructure emphasize not only compassion, but operational
ingenuity. Faced with blockades and conflict, the UAE turned constraints into
solutions, ensuring aid reaches those most in need.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much humanitarian aid has the UAE provided to Gaza since October 2023?
Between October 2023 and November 2024, the UAE contributed $828 million to Gaza, representing 42% of all global humanitarian aid during that period. By March 2025, total UAE aid surpassed $1.2 billion, delivering more than 65,000 tonnes of food, medical supplies, and relief items through land, sea, and air.2. How does the UAE deliver aid to Gaza?
Under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, the UAE uses a tri-modal delivery system:
- Land:
3,495+ aid trucks via Rafah crossing.
- Sea:
14 humanitarian ships, including the Khalifa vessel.
- Air:
519 airlifts and 600+ missions for urgent supplies.