The first flight, carrying thermal blankets and essential supplies for UNICEF, has landed in Al Arish, with at least three more flights scheduled in the coming days.
Dubai Humanitarian has launched a new air bridge to support relief efforts in Gaza as families there prepare for the winter months. The initiative was launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The first flight, carrying essential supplies and thermal winter blankets for UNICEF, has arrived in Al Arish, Egypt, ahead of its onward transfer to Gaza, the Dubai Media Office announced on October 23.
The air bridge involves multiple flights operated by the Dubai Royal Air Wing using C-130 aircraft. Each aircraft carries approximately nine metric tonnes of humanitarian supplies.
At least three additional flights are scheduled in the coming days. These will deliver blankets for children and other vulnerable groups, helping families prepare for the colder weather ahead.
Winter Blankets for Children and Vulnerable Families
The focus of this air bridge is winter protection, with the upcoming flights dedicated to blankets for children and other vulnerable groups.
Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Chairman of the Dubai Humanitarian Authority, said winter is a difficult time for families who have already endured immense hardship, particularly children. He added that the shipment reflects Dubai Humanitarian’s role as a trusted global hub connecting humanitarian partners.
The shipment is also the first coordinated sourcing order under the UN80 Integrated Supply Chain Approach. The approach brings UN agencies together to jointly source and deliver supplies, with the aim of improving coordination, speeding up relief and making aid delivery more efficient. Dubai Humanitarian facilitated the operation alongside its humanitarian partners.
Dubai Humanitarian’s Ongoing Relief Efforts for Gaza
The new air bridge builds on work that has been underway for some time. Since 2023, Dubai Humanitarian has facilitated air bridges, land convoys and sea shipments for Gaza, working with international humanitarian partners across several transport routes.
In August 2026, Dubai Humanitarian launched an air bridge supporting the World Health Organization (WHO). The first C-130 flight carried 11 metric tonnes of essential medicines to Al Arish, followed by three more flights carrying medicines, tents and fortified biscuits. Around 150 metric tonnes of WHO medical and health supplies were set to be dispatched over the following weeks, all drawn from stock pre-positioned at the WHO Global Logistics Centre hosted by Dubai Humanitarian.
Those WHO supplies, worth more than $1.3 million, were expected to treat about 400,000 people. Dubai Humanitarian’s charter flights have also saved Gaza’s health emergency operations more than $4 million in logistics costs.
Earlier in 2026, Dubai Humanitarian also facilitated air bridges and relief shipments to Afghanistan, Mozambique, Lebanon and Uganda.
Dubai Humanitarian was founded in 2003 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and describes itself as the largest humanitarian hub in the world. It operates as a non-profit, independent humanitarian free zone authority and brings together UN organizations, non-profits, NGOs and commercial companies.
The hub is located about 10 minutes from Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport. That location allows its members to reach two-thirds of the world’s population living in hazard-prone areas within four to eight hours. Its facilities span around 150,000 square meters of warehouses, offices and open yard space.
The latest air bridge adds to the UAE’s wider humanitarian support for Gaza, which also includes the Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge for food aid and a UAE floating hospital stationed in Al Arish to treat patients.
