Egypt launches ‘Ma’wa Al-Karama’ shelter initiative for Gaza, sends 118th aid convoy

Ahram Online , Sunday 18 Jan 2026

Egypt’s Red Crescent on Sunday launched the Zad El-Ezza: Ma’wa Al-Karama (Dignity Shelter) initiative to provide temporary housing for displaced Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip, as the country simultaneously dispatched its 118th humanitarian aid convoy to the enclave, according to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC).

Photo courtesy of The Egyptian Red Crescent

According to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), Ma’wa Al-Karama —an extension of the Zad El-Ezza initiative launched on 27 July to provide aid to Gaza—will provide dignified shelter for affected families through the deployment of fully equipped caravans designed to meet basic living needs amid the strip’s deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

The shelter campaign builds on ongoing Egyptian relief efforts to Gaza, including food supply chains, winter assistance, and emergency aid deliveries, the ERC said. The organization is Egypt’s national mechanism for coordinating and facilitating humanitarian assistance to the strip.

Hours after launching the initiative, Egypt dispatched its 118th humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza, carrying 7,170 tonnes of emergency assistance despite difficult weather conditions.

The convoy included more than 4,040 tonnes of food parcels and flour, 1,350 tonnes of relief supplies and medicines, 120 tonnes of personal hygiene items, and 1,620 tonnes of fuel, according to the ERC.

Winter aid formed a significant portion of the shipment, including 39,970 winter clothing items, 22,950 blankets, and 740 tents, intended to help families cope with harsh weather conditions.

The ERC stated that the Ma’wa Al-Karama initiative is part of its broader humanitarian operations in Gaza, supported by around 65,000 volunteers, and is intended to provide comprehensive assistance spanning food, shelter, and winter relief.

The aid effort comes days after the United States announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, alongside the formation of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Egypt has served as Gaza’s primary aid conduit, delivering more than 45,000 aid trucks carrying over 800,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance—roughly 70 percent of all aid sent to the strip, according to Egyptian figures.

Egypt has also developed a Gaza reconstruction plan adopted by the Arab League (AL), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the European Union (EU), which Cairo says is intended to counter attempts to displace Palestinians from the enclave.