The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) on Wednesday dispatched its 126th “Zad Al-Izza… From Egypt to Gaza” convoy, carrying more than 170,000 food parcels alongside winter relief supplies to the Gaza Strip.
In tandem, the Egyptian Committee for Gaza Relief launched an on-the-ground drive distributing 1,500 food and health parcels specifically designated for patients with celiac disease (gluten intolerance).
An ERC statement said that the 126th convoy also carried expanded winter assistance in response to freezing temperatures and a severe low-pressure system affecting the enclave.
Supplies included more than 14,110 winter clothing items, over 16,800 blankets, 2,350 mattresses, and around 1,340 tents to shelter displaced families.
In addition to food parcels, the convoy transported 520 tonnes of flour, more than 1,450 tonnes of relief and personal-care supplies, and about 1,540 tonnes of petroleum materials, aimed at sustaining bakeries, health facilities, and essential services inside the Gaza Strip, the organization said.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Committee for Gaza Relief said its celiac-focused initiative seeks to address a critical nutritional gap faced by patients unable to tolerate gluten.
The parcels include fully gluten-free products, such as specialized flour and bread alternatives, designed to prevent serious health complications amid shortages and the high cost of imported alternatives.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said the “Zad Al-Izza… From Egypt to Gaza” operation, launched in July 2025, continues to operate as Egypt’s national mechanism for coordinating and dispatching humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing, supported by tens of thousands of volunteers and an extensive logistics network.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, Egypt has delivered more than 800,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance into Gaza through the Rafah and Karm Abu Salem crossings, according to Egyptian officials.
The ERC operates as the country’s national mechanism for coordinating, receiving, and dispatching aid to Gaza, supported by a nationwide logistics network and a volunteer force of more than 65,000 men and women.
The operation has included food supplies, flour, fresh bread, infant formula, medical supplies, medicines, fuel, tents, and winter relief items, along with the arrival of ambulances and the deployment of field hospitals.
Despite the ongoing aid flow, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire for hundreds of thousands of families.
The UN and its partners currently provide daily bread assistance to at least 43 percent of the population, either free of charge or at a subsidized price of less than $1 for a two-kilogram bundle, in addition to monthly wheat-flour distributions that have reached 1.2 million people so far this month.
OCHA said humanitarian partners have reached more than 7,500 families with tents, tarpaulins, sealing kits, mattresses, and blankets, while winter clothing has been delivered to around 1,400 children across the territory.
Another child died from hypothermia over the weekend, bringing the number of child deaths linked to cold weather to 10, the agency added.
The UN warned that over one million people still require shelter support, calling for sustainable solutions including home-repair toolkits, communal heating spaces, and equipment to clear debris and rubble.
Since Wednesday, protection partners have reached more than 2,300 families with cash vouchers and in-kind winterization assistance, alongside mental health and psychosocial support.
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