PUTRAJAYA: Ten containers of aid from Malaysia have successfully entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
"Alhamdulillah, the great trust of the Malaysian people has successfully entered Gaza, passing through Rafah, during a very tense period," said Malaysian ConsultativeCouncil for Islamic Organization (Mapim) chief executive officer, Ahmad Sani Abdul Alim Araby, at the Jelajah Peduli Ummah flag-off ceremony at Kompleks Islam Putrajaya today.
He said that the containers, which were flagged off from Mapim's warehouse in Cairo by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, had waited nearly three months for clearance.
The containers are part of a larger initiative, with an additional 90 containers planned, Ahmad Sani said.
"We have been invited by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation to enter through the north at Beit Hanoun and other areas," he said.
He said that accessing northern Gaza will be challenging due to occupation by the Zionist regime, but Mapim remains hopeful for positive developments in the coming month.
Sani extended his gratitude to the Malaysian and Egyptian governments for their support, stating, "We have never given up. The aid has entered, and it brings joy to the people of Gaza who are in need of assistance."
He confirmed that the first phase saw the 10 containers delivered to Khan Younis and Deir al Balah in stages, with two containers arriving earlier in September and the other eight arriving last Friday.
Due to the current war situation, Mapim has adjusted its distribution approach, providing one sack of flour per family rather than previous specific measurements.
Sani assured that a final report on the utilised aid would be released soon.
In February, Mapim received from the public in support of its desire to build a hospital in Gaza post-ceasefire.