The “Miles of Smiles” aid convoy arrived Wednesday, February 15, 2023 to the Gaza Strip, carrying medical aid provided by participants from several countries in support of the health sector in the Strip.

This came in a statement issued by the convoy coordinator, Issam Youssef, as he described how this convoy carries various quantities of medical aid, such as medicines, medical supplies, and other required materials the health sector in the Strip lacks.

It’s noteworthy that the health institutions in the Gaza Strip suffer from an acute shortage due to the comprehensive blockade Israel imposes for 16 years till now, in addition to the repeated Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip.

According to Youssef, a delegation consisting of 6 participants in this campaign, from Jordan, Malaysia, Britain, Belgium and Sweden, expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip and who are deeply concerned with the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Since November 2009, the “Miles of Smiles” convoy began providing relief aid to Gaza, in partnership with Arab and international solidarity organizations and relief organizations, to address the sector’s shortage of medicines, equipment and health supplies.

For over 16 years, Israel imposed a land, air, and sea blockade on the coastal enclave, that since then, Israel denied entry into Gaza of various essential goods,  including goods like building materials, specific medical equipment and agricultural tools.