Manama, July24(BNA)Bahrain will dispatch the first aid relief consignment to besieged Gaza on Saturday (July26), it was announced today. Royal Charity Organisation (RCO) Board of Trustees’ Chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa will patronise the shipment of the consignment.

Social Development Minister Dr. Fatima Mohammed Al-Balooshi, Health Minister Sadiq bin Abdelkarim Al-Shehabi, Muharraq Governor Salman bin Hindi, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla and other officials will attend the ceremony.

“The lifeline follows directives from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, also RCO Honorary President”, said RCO Secretary-General and Head of the National Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Gaza Dr. Mustapha Al-Sayyed.

The 40-ton shipment includes a quantity of medication, medical equipment and relief aid to meet the urgent needs of the distressed Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza. “The Bahraini relief aid consignment will be among the first shipments to enter Gaza amid brutal Israeli aggression on the besieged strip.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will distribute the shipment to Gaza hospitals in coordination with the World Health Organisation (WHO). A part of the shipment will be allocated to Khan Yunis-based Bahrain Hospital, which is playing a crucial role in treating the Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza-based WHO Office director Dr. Mahmoud Taher paid tribute to HM the King and the people of Bahrain for the relief aid shipment. Meanwhile, Bahrain School in Tal Al-Hawa has been transformed into a sheltering centre for distressed and homeless Palestinians. Bahrain TV will air a report on the role of the Bahrain School in sheltering Palestinian brethren in Gaza.

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BNA 1750 GMT 2014/07/24