MFA-MINDEF Joint Press Statement Commencement of RSAF Humanitarian Airdrop Operations for Gaza

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Mohamad Zaqy delivered his remarks to the media at King Abdullah II Airbase.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s airlift of the third tranche of humanitarian aid from Singapore to Jordan has been completed. The RSAF will be commencing the airdrop operations staged out of Jordan, together with the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State (SMS), Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Manpower, Zaqy Mohamad were received by Jordanian Armed Forces Royal Air Force Training Director and Hussein Al Shebli, Secretary-General of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation at the King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan today.

The humanitarian package contains meal packs and critical supplies including medical supplies and equipment, put together by the Singapore Government in close consultation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, based on the needs on the ground in Gaza.

Minister Balakrishnan said, "We are deeply grateful to His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein and the government of Jordan for facilitating Singapore's humanitarian aid for Gaza, and for inviting Singapore to conduct humanitarian air drop operations of urgently needed supplies. I thank our men and women of the RSAF and SAF for taking on this life-saving mission. It is an expression of Singaporeans' care, concern and compassion for Palestinians in Gaza."

SMS Zaqy said, "The SAF continues to support Singapore's humanitarian aid efforts into Gaza. We certainly hope that this gesture of compassion, especially during the month of Ramadan, will bring not just relief but also hope to the people of Gaza that are affected by the war... The SAF will continue to bring in supplies, with aid supplies that arrived earlier via the RSAF's MRTT and C-130. We would like to thank all who have been involved in this operation, especially our partners, Relief SG, Ministry of Health for the medical supplies, as well as other NGOs such as Mercy Relief, PPIS, and Charis. This whole of government effort includes ground-up support from Singaporeans for those affected in Gaza... I would also like to thank the SAF personnel who have stepped up because this is different from normal operations as they are now operating in the conflict zone. We hope that our servicemen and women always remain vigilant, so they can come home safe to their families and loved ones."

Mercy Relief's (MR) Executive Director, Mr Muhammad Ashik, said: "We are glad to continue our partnership with the SAF's Changi RHCC, MFA and other organisations to coordinate and contribute humanitarian aid supplies for Palestinians in Gaza. Such close collaborations with our partners enable us to pool our resources and contribute more humanitarian assistance to those in need in Gaza. This is MR's second contribution to this national effort, following the contribution of healthcare supplies in November 2023."

We will continue to work closely with our partners in the Middle East, as well as humanitarian partners in Singapore to offer additional assistance and support to the affected communities. Singapore continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and urges all parties to allow for the immediate, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian aid to affected civilians in Gaza.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (left-most), and Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad (second from left) interacted with SAF personnel who will be involved in the airdrop operations.

Singapore's humanitarian supplies being unloaded from the RSAF's Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) in Amman, Jordan.

Personnel from the Singapore Army rigging up the loads to be delivered via airdrop over Gaza.

RSAF personnel loading packed humanitarian supplies onto the C-130, which will be airdropped over Gaza.

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Remarks by Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad during his Visit to Amman, Jordan