Malta is doing its part to help alleviate the suffering brought about by the war in Gaza by collecting food, clothes and other provisions to send to the thousands of devastated civilians.
The Civil Protection Department will be collecting the items to send to Gaza on Sunday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Qormi square, or the nearby school in case of bad weather, department director Peter Cordina said.
In Gozo, the collection will take place at the Fire Station in Xewkija at the same time.
"The victims of this human crisis need everything," Palestinian Ambassador to Malta Jubran Taweel said as he highlighted that the war has left about 100,000 people displaced and killed about 1,300 of which 410 were children.
Although Israel and Hamas declared ceasefires on Sunday, ending a 22-day struggle, the war stretched on leaving behind destruction and psychological devastation, he said.
Mr Taweel and the Muslim Imam Mohammed El Sadi thanked the government and the Maltese people for their support and appealed for their help to assist the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Social Policy Minister John Dalli and Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said that Malta always reacted to disasters by trying to alleviate suffering through humanitarian aid.
Following the collection on Sunday, everything will be packed into one or two planes and taken to Gaza next week.
While cash will not be accepted, the CPD will be taking food including rice, wheat, sugar, canned tuna and vegetables, powdered mild, nappies, bottled water, batteries, flashlights, new clothes, blankets, mattresses and eight-people tents.
Medicines can also be bought with money deposited into the Malta Islamic Welfare Fund, set up by the Mosque's committee. Cheques can be addressed to the fund and money can be deposited into Bank of Valletta account number 1490 6735 012. Donations will be used to buy items urgently needed by the people of Gaza.
Meanwhile, Sanaa El-Nahhal, who left on Sunday to deliver supplies to relatives and compatriots, entered Gaza yesterday after a day's waiting on the Rafah crossing in Egypt.
Malta Today journalist Karl Schembri, who is accompanying Ms El-Nahhal, reported that she had entered Gaza at 3.45 p.m.