The UAE has dispatched a second shipment of the crucial Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to the Gaza Strip to support the country in its fight against the pandemic. The Palestinian Health Ministry received the shipment of 38,700 COVID-19 vaccine doses that arrived in the country through the Rafah Border Crossing last week.

The Palestinian Health Ministry issued a statement, expressing gratitude towards the UAE leadership for their vaccine assistance that has strengthened the health efforts in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic in the Gaza Strip.

In the statement, the ministry lauded the role played by every individual and stakeholder in facilitating the arrival of the vaccine shipment to the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in February, the UAE had sent a shipment of 20,000 Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Gaza Strip. In addition, the UAE also sent three aid aircraft carrying 36.6 tonnes of medical and food aid to support the efforts to overcome the health crisis. More than 10,000 COVID-19 test kits and 10 respirators have been sent by the UAE to Gaza to benefit over 36,000 medical personnel in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

This medical assistance has come in line with the UAE's continued commitment to support the Palestinian people and enhance the efforts of the healthcare sector in combating the pandemic. In early 2021, the UAE has sent 808 tonnes of relief assistance to support the needs of 10,000 underprivileged families in the Gaza Strip.

From 2010 to March 2021, the UAE has helped Palestine with total assistance worth US$1.14 billion- of which $254 million has been dispatched for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Evidently, the UAE has emerged as one of the largest aid donors and financiers of the UNRWA projects in the Palestinian territories.

WAM