UAE accounts for around 46% of global humanitarian aid sent to Gaza, officials say.
Since the launch of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 on November 5, 2023, under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has continued to expand its humanitarian support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through coordinated relief efforts delivered by land, sea, and air. The operation has provided humanitarian, medical, food, and shelter assistance to communities across Gaza despite difficult conditions.
By the end of the first half of 2026, the UAE said the total value of aid delivered to Gaza under the initiative had reached approximately $3.12 billion, accounting for nearly 46% of all international humanitarian assistance sent to the territory over the past two and a half years. According to the UAE, this makes it the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to Gaza during the period.
The humanitarian operation has included a series of major initiatives, including the establishment of the UAE Field Hospital inside the Gaza Strip and the launch of the UAE Floating Hospital in Al Arish, Egypt. It has also facilitated the evacuation of wounded patients, individuals requiring specialised medical care, and their companions to hospitals across the UAE for treatment.
In addition, the operation has supported field bakeries, community kitchens, and water desalination plants, while implementing projects to provide safe drinking water. Relief efforts have also included the distribution of food parcels, tents, humanitarian supplies, and other essential items to families affected by the conflict.
Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has been supported by an integrated logistics network designed to ensure the continuous delivery of humanitarian assistance. The operation has included an air bridge with dozens of relief flights, a maritime bridge transporting thousands of tonnes of aid, and overland convoys. It has also conducted humanitarian airdrops in partnership with international organisations to reach areas inaccessible through conventional delivery routes.
Beyond the scale of its financial contribution, the operation has focused on a wide range of humanitarian interventions, including emergency relief, healthcare, food security, and support for critical infrastructure and essential services. According to the UAE, the initiative reflects its humanitarian approach of providing rapid and sustained assistance during crises while reinforcing its role as one of the world’s leading humanitarian donors.
UAE aid to Gaza reaches $3.12 billion
Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has announced that the UAE’s humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has reached $3.12 billion, representing approximately 46% of all international aid delivered to Gaza over the past two and a half years, according to UAE authorities.
Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 said the initiative has grown from the involvement of just three institutions into a nationwide humanitarian effort, with more than 200 charitable organisations across the UAE now participating in coordination with international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
126,300 tonnes of humanitarian aid delivered
According to the operation, a total of 126,300 tonnes of relief supplies has been delivered to Gaza. Humanitarian efforts have also enabled the entry of more than 13,000 aid trucks into the Strip, alongside the operation of over 785 relief flights and the dispatch of 25 aid ships.
Of the 25 vessels, 13 departed from the UAE, three from Egypt’s Al Arish, and nine from Cyprus, creating a continuous humanitarian supply corridor to support the Palestinian population.
Separately, Dar Al Ber Society announced its support for the Step of Hope programme, implemented in cooperation with Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, as part of the UAE’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to assist Palestinians in the Gaza Strip under the directives of the country’s leadership.
The initiative aims to rehabilitate people who have undergone amputations due to the conflict by manufacturing and fitting prosthetic limbs, while also providing physiotherapy and medical rehabilitation services. The programme is designed to help beneficiaries regain mobility, restore their independence, and reintegrate into daily life.
Rehabilitation through the UAE Floating Hospital
The programme is being delivered through the UAE Floating Hospital in Al Arish, Egypt, where patients receive a comprehensive package of care that includes medical assessments, prosthetic limb fabrication and fitting, physiotherapy, and ongoing medical follow-up.
The initiative is also being expanded in coordination with relevant authorities to increase the number of beneficiaries and extend rehabilitation services to as many injured people as possible.
Mohammed Al Sharif, official spokesperson for Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, said the initiative has maintained continuous humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza since its launch through a coordinated framework of relief, healthcare, and development programmes implemented by the UAE in partnership with government bodies, private-sector organisations, charities, and international partners.
Highlighting the operation’s achievements, Al Sharif said it began with the establishment of the Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 Coordination Centre in Abu Dhabi to oversee humanitarian efforts involving government and non-government entities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant authorities responsible for facilitating aid delivery and supporting civilians in Gaza.
He added that the operation also established a fully integrated logistics hub in Egypt’s Al Arish, equipped with humanitarian warehouses and storage facilities, alongside a field hospital that opened with a capacity of 100 beds and has so far provided treatment and medical care to more than 31,000 patients.
UAE water pipeline project
Al Sharif said the UAE also launched the UAE Water Pipeline Project, which includes desalination plants capable of producing more than two million gallons of water a day. The initiative also involved the construction of a 7.5-kilometre pipeline extending from the Egyptian border to Khan Younis, supplying safe drinking water to communities inside the Gaza Strip.
Al Sharif said the operation has also strengthened healthcare services inside Gaza through the establishment of a 200-bed field hospital, which has treated more than 114,000 patients since it began operations. He added that the UAE’s efforts extend beyond emergency medical care to include wider humanitarian and community support initiatives.
He said assistance to Gaza’s healthcare sector has included the deployment of 33 ambulances, support for 33 hospitals across the Strip, more than 291 dialysis sessions, and contributions to the polio vaccination campaign, which reached around 640,000 children.
In the education sector, UAE initiatives have included distributing school bags and educational supplies, alongside scholarship programmes. According to the operation, more than 16,000 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies, and healthcare equipment have also been delivered to support medical services in Gaza.
