SINGAPORE – Despite the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hamas, disaster relief group Mercy Relief will send two of its personnel to the West Bank on March 21 on a mission to study the needs of, monitor projects for and provide direct support to affected communities.
The pair will also provide iftar, the evening meal to break fast during Ramadan, to at least 200 families there.
Mercy Relief chairman Satwant Singh announced this on March 20 at Mercy Relief’s office in Toa Payoh during an iftar session attended by more than 60 guests.
They included Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Singapore University of Social Sciences chancellor Halimah Yacob, Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang, MPs Louis Ng and Saktiandi Supaat, and the consular members of Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Said Mr Singh: “From the time we were founded in 2003 to today, we have flown (many) missions, and we have gone to the ground, and we have delivered (relief) with our own hands… None of this is possible without the support of our partners, donors and volunteers.”
This will be Mercy Relief executive director Muhammad Ashik Mohamed Daud’s first visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He will be accompanied by fellow director Mejar Singh-Gill, 76.
The Mercy Relief duo will continue to monitor the security situation on the ground with the help of partners in the West Bank.
Said Mr Ashik, 36: “The security risk is, of course, there, but the needs (of the displaced Palestinians) are so severe… and (there is a) need for our specialisations to come in and support, not just the community but also fellow do-gooders, to make sure that they (the community) can continue to grow.”
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which have been at war since October 2023, agreed to a six-week ceasefire in January.
But the temporary truce did not last long with Israel launching deadly air strikes overnight on March 18, killing more than 400 people and injuring Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The West Bank was also hit by air strikes after the ceasefire broke, with many casualties.
Mr Singh said: “The break in the ceasefire has escalated the humanitarian crisis in the West Bank, creating urgent need for food, medical aid and essential support.”
Besides tending to such needs, Mercy Relief will also host iftar for 200 families there over four nights to offer a sense of solidarity, and provide comfort and hope during Ramadan.
On March 20, Mercy Relief also announced the launch of its first structured humanitarian programme in Singapore, which focuses on food and nutrition support for less privileged children.
Ensuring children have access to proper nutrition is crucial for their well-being, said the organisation.
This initiative will also include frequent check-ins with latchkey children, whose parents may not be around often owing to work, among other reasons, to provide additional care and support.
Mr Singh said: “We will kick-start this programme with a month-long engagement supported by (drinks company) F&N, which has generously committed an initial 10,000 packs of F&N Magnolia Smoo Milk for underprivileged children identified by Mercy Relief.
“This contribution lays the groundwork for a sustained effort to nurture and support vulnerable communities within Singapore.”
Some of these children attended the iftar session at Mercy Relief’s office to collect packed food and milk, and took photographs with Mr Ong and the MPs.
As at March, the organisation has helped three million people and disbursed $48.6 million in funds to beneficiaries through its disaster relief work worldwide.
- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof is senior crime correspondent at The Straits Times.
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