FIANZ: First Food Aid From NZ Reaches Gaza Camp For Starving Children & Women

FIANZ, the national Muslim umbrella organisation , confirms that the first delivery of humanitarian food aid from NZ organized by us has reached Gaza, said Br Ibrar Sheikh, President of FIANZ . It has been a major logistics exercise for us to ensure we can provide cooked food during this fasting month of Ramadhan, said Abdur Razzaq, Chairperson FIANZ RCOI and Advocacy. The food had to be precooked and specially packed since there is no fuel or fresh water at this particular camp inside Gaza, said Abdur Razzaq. We cannot reveal the location of the camp, since we know the Israeli forces are deliberately targeting aid workers. We cannot put our local helpers in such danger, since more than 630 aid workers have already been killed by IDF forces. The camp where we have started distributing the cooked meals has about 200 tents and approximately 2000 mainly children and women. We also thank a Turkish NGO for providing essential logistic support.

This is the first time FIANZ has provided such direct food aid overseas and builds on our previous experience when we supplied cooked and packed meals to the victims of the Cyclone Gabrielle in NZ. Recently, FIANZ also donated 1000 wheelchairs to Fiji as part of our international humanitarian support, said Abdur Razzaq.

We are also pleased to confirm that FIANZ, with a consortium of international NGOs, has organized for 100 trucks of food, medicine, sanitary and other essential humanitarian supplies to be sent to Gaza via Egypt. A small FIANZ team from NZ will also be assisting on the ground with the logistics of this major aid supply. A major Malaysian NGO is facilitating this and we would particularly like to acknowledge the help of the Malaysian government, with Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia and his Deputy personally attending the launch of this initiative, said Abdur Razzaq.

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