SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The Republic continues to urge all parties to reach a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the immediate unconditional release of all hostages in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Nov 1.
Dr Balakrishnan also expressed Singapore’s “deep concern” over the Israeli Parliament’s recent legislation that will ban UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. The law was passed on Oct 28.
The minister said the concern is over how it “will hamper or hinder the essential work of UN agencies in providing relief to the people in Gaza and beyond”.
“Singapore commends the work of Unicef, UNRWA and the other UN agencies for the essential role they provided and continue to provide for life-saving support in Gaza,” he said, ahead of a ceremony that saw local charity Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) handing over $700,000 to UN children’s agency Unicef.
“We urge all parties to adhere to international law – including that we respect and protect the individual officers of these agencies, some of whom have been casualties.”
In his speech, Dr Balakrishnan also reiterated Singapore’s stance, conveyed to the Israeli government at the highest level, that its military response has gone too far.
The $700,000 is Singapore’s fifth tranche of humanitarian assistance for Gaza. It consists of money from RLAF’s ongoing fund-raising campaign, as well as a US$200,000 (S$265,000) injection from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
To date, the Singapore Government and local non-governmental organisations have delivered approximately $18 million worth of donations for Gaza.
In a statement on Nov 1, MFA said Singapore remains committed to offering humanitarian support to affected populations in Gaza, working in close collaboration with international partners such as Unicef and other UN agencies to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered in a timely manner.
Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, who also spoke at the ceremony, said the conflict “has weighed heavily on many of our hearts”.
He said it has been heart-warming to see Singaporeans of different communities come together to take action to help those affected by the conflict, and cited non-profit group Humanity Matters, which rallied interfaith groups to pack humanitarian supplies for Gaza.
He added that the Racial and Religious Harmony Circles community platform, made up of leaders from different faith, ethnic and community groups, has launched the Harmony-in-Action fund-raising campaign. The ongoing campaign, which runs till Nov 30, is in support of RLAF’s efforts to provide critical aid to children and families in Gaza.
Dr Balakrishnan also thanked Singapore’s partners for facilitating the Republic’s humanitarian assistance efforts.
Singapore worked with Egypt and Jordan to disburse the first three tranches of aid.
The fourth tranche of aid – comprising 300 tonnes of canned sardines and 1,000 tonnes of rice – was delivered to Gaza with the support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Cyprus.
There is more to come from Singapore in terms of aid, Dr Balakrishnan said.
“We are exploring other further direct assistance, working with longstanding partners in the region – the UAE, Jordan and Egypt – so watch this space,” he said.
At the ceremony, RLAF chief executive Adnan Abdul Hamid said the foundation’s third and current round of fund raising, which began on Oct 18, has garnered almost $1.6 million. Its previous fund-raising efforts raised over $10.2 million.
In its third fund-raising round that will run till Dec 13, RLAF is collaborating with three ground partners, namely Unicef, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation and Humanity Matters.
“Together, we will ensure the funds will be used for delivery of essential relief items such as food, water and medical supplies for children and families in Gaza,” said Mr Adnan.
He added that all donations will be channelled through these partners to ensure timely and effective procurement and distribution of the necessary aid. - The Straits Times/ANN