Aid Convoy Sets Out to Gaza, Bringing Hope Amidst Despair

As a 120-truck convoy departs from Jordan to Gaza, the need for humanitarian aid remains dire, with the UN highlighting catastrophic conditions in the region after 15 months of conflict.

On a clear winter day, a long aid convoy is on its way from Jordan to deliver vital supplies to Gaza. Mustafa al Qadri, one of the drivers, views the winding route that leads to the Dead Sea and towards Israel's border. The convoy will first face Israeli customs at the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge before heading to the Erez crossing, where aid is transferred to local drivers from the World Food Programme.

Despite the risks ahead—including roadblocks set by Israeli settlers and hijackings by criminal gangs in the war zone—Mustafa radiates optimism. "We are carrying food and medication for our brothers in Gaza," he shares, emphasizing a familial connection rooted in shared heritage and compassion.

With 120 trucks, this operation, the largest since the conflict escalated in October 2023, aims to reassure Gazans that their neighbors in Jordan have not forgotten them. King Abdullah II has personally advocated for this humanitarian effort, amidst a dire appeal from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who stressed the need for a ceasefire to eliminate political barriers for aid access.

In Gaza, grim reports from international journalists depict a humanitarian crisis where 90% of the 2.2 million residents are displaced. Emotional scenes in food distribution lines expose the desperation of families like that of ten-year-old Farah Khaled Basal. She dreams daily of a ceasefire to reunite with her father and for basic supplies like flour.

Similarly, sixteen-year-old Lamees Mohammad Al Mizar’i, living in a tent with family, recalls with disbelief her pre-war pickiness about food. "Now I eat everything," she statements highlight the stark contrast to her past, as hunger has forced her to rethink her priorities amid daily struggles for survival.

Back in Amman, the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation expresses its readiness to dispatch even more aid, stating it could manage up to 150 trucks daily if given clearance. For all involved, the fulfillment of their mission depends not only on organizational readiness but also on the long-awaited peace and a fully accessible Gaza for humanitarian efforts.