Jordan has emerged as a key supporter in the "Air Drop Aid For Gaza" campaign, aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis in the northern Gaza Strip, besieged by Israeli occupation forces. The campaign, leveraging an online petition and the hashtag #AirDropAidForGaza, has garnered significant backing from Jordanian society, according to activists involved.
In an interview with the Jordanian News Agency (Petra), activists Sarah Wilkinson, a British humanitarian, Lebanese journalist and war correspondent Laila Hatoum, and Shameen Suleiman, another British humanitarian, lauded the efforts of Jordan, particularly highlighting the roles of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II.
These efforts, they noted, have been pivotal in facilitating the airdrop of aid into the region.
The activists pointed out that the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army has been instrumental in conducting several airdrops, delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The focus of these airdrops is to provide immediate relief to approximately 600,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip governorates.
These areas face acute shortages of basic food supplies and potable water, exacerbating the risk of death from hunger and thirst, as well as the spread of epidemics and diseases due to the lack of healthcare.
Speaking on their presence in Jordan, the activists emphasized the country’s proximity to Palestine, both geographically and in spirit. Jordan’s unique position as the only country to have broken the siege through airdrops significantly influenced the campaign's decision to amplify their message from Jordan to the international community, raising awareness about the severity of the situation in the northern Gaza Strip.
The activists also noted the campaign's origins, initiated by American activist Yossi Zalalim in late November following intensified operations and a siege on northern Gaza by occupation forces.
Initially aiming to gather 15,000 signatures for a digital humanitarian petition, the campaign saw remarkable growth in Jordan, with signatures exceeding 35,000. The current goal is to reach 50,000 signatures, accessible through the link (chng.it/Lj6PgbbT).
The siege and starvation tactics employed by the occupation forces in northern Gaza, they argued, are attempts to depopulate the area. This strategy underscored the campaign's focus on delivering relief aid to the besieged northern Gaza Strip, where conventional means of aid entry are blocked.