Kuwait Sends Emergency Aid Flight to Gaza as Famine and Blockade Deepen

Kuwait City: Kuwait had sent its first emergency humanitarian aid flight to Gaza this Sunday on , as part of a relief effort to help Palestinians caught in one of the world’s worst and orchestrated humanitarian crises.

The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) confirmed that the aircraft, carrying essential supplies, departed from Abdullah Al‑Mubarak Air Base and land at Egypt’s Al Arish Airport. From there, the aid will be transported to Gaza through coordination with the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies.

Khaled Al‑Mughamis, chairman of KRCS, said the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Kuwait’s Ministries of Social Affairs, Defence, and Foreign Affairs. He described the mission as a symbol of Kuwait’s unwavering support for the people of Palestine and added that close coordination with Egyptian officials is ongoing to ensure the safe and effective delivery of supplies.

Conditions in Gaza have worsened since the genocide broke out in October 2023. Israel’s near-total blockade of the territory has blocked food, fuel, and medicine, making it nearly impossible for humanitarian organisations to provide consistent relief. Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, hospitals are barely functioning, and many aid trucks are being blocked at the border.

Image Courtesy: WHO

International agencies have confirmed that at least 100 children have died from acute malnutrition since October. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported dozens of additional deaths in recent weeks, including children under the age of five. UNICEF also warns that tens of thousands of children and mothers urgently need treatment, with more than 470,000 people facing catastrophic levels of hunger.

Kuwait’s aid mission follows a three-day national fundraising campaign organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs, which raised more than 6.5 million Kuwaiti dinars — roughly $21.4 million USD. These funds were used to purchase and distribute staple foods, including flour and other essentials, in partnership with Kuwait Flour Mills & Bakeries Company. A specialised logistics team is supervising the handling and delivery of the supplies.

Earlier this year, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined an aid mission known as the Freedom Flotilla, which aimed to deliver food and medicine to Gaza by sea. The boat, Madleen, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters. Thunberg and several other activists were detained and later deported, sparking outrage among human rights groups and further highlighting the increasingly harsh restrictions placed on humanitarian work in the region.

Image Courtesy: AFP

Despite global condemnation and repeated calls from the across the globe, access to Gaza remains blocked. Food and medicine pile up at border crossings while children continue to die from preventable causes.

While Kuwait’s aid flight is a lifeline for many, humanitarian organisations warn that such efforts, however critical, are not enough. Without consistent and unhindered access to aid, the situation will continue to spiral. What Gaza needs is not just emergency airlifts, but a full political resolution and an end to the blockade. As more than two million people in Gaza continue to suffer from Israel's genocide, hunger, and displacement.