The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) dispatched its 97th “Zad Al-Izza” convoy to Gaza early on Thursday, December 18, 2025, carrying more than 305,000 food parcels, 33,500 blankets, 30,000 winter clothing items, 6,400 tents, and 500 mattresses, as Egypt steps up winter relief for Gaza amid severe weather.
An ERC statement said the convoy also includes 250 tons of flour, over 2,700 tons of essential medical and relief supplies, and around 1,500 tons of petroleum products to sustain hospitals and other critical services in Gaza.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Egypt has led the largest and most sustained humanitarian relief operation into the besieged territory, coordinating with the United Nations and international partners.
Egypt alone has provided around 70 percent of the total aid delivered to Gaza.
For more than 760 consecutive days, Egypt has provided humanitarian assistance through the Rafah and Karm Abu Salem crossings, delivering over 665,000 tons of aid, including food, medical supplies, fuel, tents, and winter relief items.
The operation is supported by a nationwide logistics network and a volunteer force of over 35,000 men and women, coordinated with 59 countries, alongside 943 humanitarian relief flights and 617 maritime aid shipments despite the ongoing Israeli blockade.
As part of its intensified ground logistics effort, Egypt launched the Zad Al-Izza: From Egypt to Gaza initiative on 27 July, sending successive convoys that have delivered over 130,000 tons of aid, including flour, fresh bread, infant formula, fuel, medical supplies, medicines, and shelter materials.
However, recent winter storms and torrential rains have worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly in displacement camps where millions of Palestinians remain in flimsy tents and makeshift shelters.
Heavy rainfall from Storm Byron has flooded streets, collapsed hundreds of tents and shelters, and left roads impassable, compounding already dire living conditions caused by years of conflict and infrastructure damage.
Thousands of families have lost vital shelter, with muddy, waterlogged conditions widespread across the territory.
Humanitarian response efforts face significant challenges that are slowing the delivery of critical supplies to Gaza.
On Wednesday, the United Nations and more than 200 international aid organizations warned that bureaucratic restrictions and delays are threatening relief operations. Some NGOs are at risk of de-registration, and essential supplies, including shelter materials, food, and medical aid, are being held up outside Gaza.
Aid agencies report that only a fraction of what is needed to sustain basic services is reaching Gaza due to administrative delays and obstacles to distribution.
Ahram Online
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