The first shipment of food from the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) has reached Gaza, the organisation confirmed.
"We have managed to distribute food to a camp in Gaza which has approximately 200 tents and 2000 children and women," Br. Mukhtar Ali Boya, of FIANZ Humanitarian Aid said in a statement.
Packets of cooked food were delivered as the organisation does not have cooking facilities or access to fresh water, FIANZ said.
Another initiative FIANZ has been able to help arrange, alongside international Muslim NGOs, is the arrival of 100 trucks of humanitarian aid to Gaza via Egypt.
"The final steps of the extensive logistics planning have been completed and we are now awaiting implementation," FIANZ said.
The organisation said a team of volunteers from FIANZ are travelling to Egypt to support the international team and are hoping to "make a small contribution" of food, medical and sanitary products.
'We were so grateful'
The group distributed food to thousands of people in need. (Source: 1News)
FIANZ chairperson Abdur Razzaq told 1News about the significance of the delivery.
"We have a small team of very dedicated [people], they are working day and night, who make sure the food goes directly to the people that need it," Razzaq said.
"We had a few logistic [which had] to be managed... With getting the funds across, we had BNZ, rightfully so, checking in terms of money laundering… logistics in terms of who will deliver on the ground, logistics for cooking facilities… "
He said top priority was making sure FIANZ workers and other volunteers in Gaza were safe.
"We were so pleased the aid had gone through. [Staff had been working] day and night... we were so grateful," Razzaq said.
This is the first time FIANZ has provided direct food aid internationally. The organisation said it "builds on our previous experience when we supplied food to the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle."
It comes a day after the world's top court ordered Israel to admit food aid into the territory.
In the United Nations legally binding order, the court told Israel to take measures "without delay" to ensure "the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance," including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
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