MADRID: Spanish military aircrafts air dropped 26 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Madrid has urged Israel to open land border crossings to prevent a famine, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The humanitarian aid operation, carried out in coordination with Jordan and co-financed by the European Union, delivered over 11,000 food rations to address the “catastrophic levels of food insecurity” affecting up to 1.1 million people in Gaza.
“Spain emphasized the necessity of opening the land crossings as an essential measure to prevent a famine situation,” the ministry added.
In response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, other Western nations such as the United States, France, and Germany have resorted to air drops to deliver aid. Challenges in delivering aid into Gaza, compounded by bureaucratic hurdles and insecurity since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, have hindered relief efforts.
A recent UN-backed report warned of an imminent famine, projected to occur by May in northern Gaza and potentially spreading across the enclave by July.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its support for UNRWA, the United Nations humanitarian agency for Palestinians, and emphasized its continued commitment to the agency’s operations.
Major donors to UNRWA, including the US and Germany, suspended funding in January over Israeli allegations against UNRWA staffers.
