Kuala Lumpur: A TOTAL of RM45mil in donations and humanitarian aid has been channelled by Malaysia to the Palestinians in Gaza since the massive Israeli attack on the enclave on Oct 7 last year, says Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
He said the donations were channelled through the Palestine People’s Humanitarian Trust Account with the cooperation of various parties including NGOs involved in Ops Ihsan, agencies under the United Nations (UN) such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the Malaysian Embassy in Amman, Jordan.
“More than 5,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Malaysia has been sent to Gaza through the Rafah border since October,” he said during Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“The situation is now getting more challenging after the Rafah border gate was closed on May 7, and now the only aid route that is still operating is through the King Hussein Bridge in Jordan.
“For that reason, we are strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and the Jordanian government, and we have been invited and agreed to participate in the aid mission through this bridge in cooperation with the Jordanian government,” he added.
Mohamad was replying to a question by Mordi Bimol (PH-Mas Gading) who had asked the government to state Malaysia’s current position, the form of humanitarian aid it has extended, and the cost allocated for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the Israeli attack last October.
Besides aid for the Palestinians in Gaza, he said Malaysia also donated US$1mil (RM4.4mil) to two organisations in Jordan, namely the King Hussein Cancer Centre and the Jordan Hashemite Welfare Organisation.
Over 43,500 Palestinians have died since the conflict began on Oct 7 last year.
