Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has instructed the U.A.E. Suqia Water Aid Foundation to give top priority to the provision of potable water to Gazans who are suffering acute shortage of water as a result of Israeli bombardment, and to act swiftly to provide enough water supplies despite tremendous challenges to realise that goal amidst the continuous Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Sheikh Mohammed reiterated the U.A.E.'s firm commitment to standing beside the Palestinian people in their just causes and its keenness to support the people of Gaza in their ordeal.
'Lack of clean drinking water resources constitutes one the most daunting challenges our people of Gaza are facing today. Therefore, we have instructed the Water Aid Foundation to act immediately to deliver ample quantities of the vital resource to the people of Gaza in a way that complements the massive efforts being made by the U.A.E. in partnership with other international organisations and agencies specialised in transporting essential relief supplies to Gaza Strip within the context of U.A.E. President's urgent humanitarian initiatives,' Sheikh Mohammed said.
He added, 'Provision of clean drinking water is not a luxury, rather it is a duty and if delivery of water in time of peace is taken for granted it is necessary and imperative for those besieged under shelling. The U.A.E. will continue its campaign to provide water to millions of persons all over the world and deliver the message of love, peace and goodness to all peoples of the earth.' Sheikh Mohammed recently ordered an air-bridge to relieve the people of Gaza, and instructed Dubai International Humanitarian City to add more giant air transport carriers, like the Boeing 747, to airlift essential relief assistance to Gaza.
The air-bridge has provided freight capacity of 150 tones of humanitarian assistance per day from Dubai to Amman from where it is trucked to Gaza.
The Gaza Water Aid is part of the intensive efforts the U.A.E. Suqia Water Aid campaign is making to provide drinking water in different parts of the world.