The second flight in the EU’s humanitarian airlift, carrying emergency aid for the people of Gaza, was due to land in Egypt late afternoon on Thursday 19 October, bringing the total number of essential goods (hygiene products, sanitary equipment, food, water and shelter) delivered since Monday to 54 tonnes, the European Commission confirmed midday on Thursday.
On behalf of the ECHO, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management spokesman Balazs Ujvari welcomed Egypt's announcement that critical humanitarian aid could begin to be delivered to Gaza, the fact that Egypt was doing “its utmost to repair the road” at the Rafah crossing, and the fact that Israel had indicated that it would not prevent the delivery of food, water and medicines from Egypt.
Stressing that the aid would be limited in quantity as well as nature of the products, he added: “International humanitarian law obliges all parties to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access to people in need. Restrictions are contrary to this obligation”.
The Council’s Crisis Management Policy Group has been activated. On Thursday, the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council also announced that it had activated the Council’s IPCR (Integrated Political Crisis Response) crisis management group, which had already been on alert since Monday 16 October.
This consultative body of the Council, bringing together the Member States, the EU institutions and other key partners, including relevant external actors such as the United Nations and third countries, promotes rapid and coordinated decision-making at EU political level for major and complex crises.
It will enable constant monitoring of the situation and coordination efforts, not only for humanitarian aid, but for all aspects of the crisis arising from the war in the Middle East, such as security and migration issues, in line with the wishes of European leaders (see EUROPE 13273/1) (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)