Debated in Parliament on 7 Aug 2024.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether there are plans to deliver further tranches of humanitarian aid into Gaza or the refugee camps in the surrounding areas to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there; and (b) whether the Enhanced Technical Assistance Programme (ETAP) and other capacity building and assistance schemes between Singapore and the Palestinian Authority are continuing despite the ongoing conflict.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion issued on 19 July 2024, what is the Government's assessment of the (i) potential impact and (ii) obligations arising from the Advisory Opinion on all member states including Singapore.
As announced on 22 July 2024, Singapore is working with Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates to deliver a fourth tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This will comprise of approximately 300 metric tonnes of canned sardines and 1000 metric tonnes of white rice. In addition, Singapore is contributing, to-date, over $17 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. This includes the $8.1 million raised by the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the $2 million that RLAF raised for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Singapore's capacity-building assistance to the Palestinian Authority has continued apace. For instance, 15 Palestinian officials from the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology were in Singapore for training in June 2024 under the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP). The study visit was a follow-up to my meeting with the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa in Ramallah in March 2024, where he asked for Singapore's assistance in digitalisation and civil service training. Three Palestinian officials have also been awarded scholarships at our universities this year to study accountancy, international political economy and info-communications security. We will press on with efforts to help equip the Palestinian Authority officials with the know-how to develop their capabilities.
The Parliamentary Question by Member of Parliament Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin has been addressed in my reply to Member of Parliament Mr Christopher de Souza on 7 August 2024. [Please refer to "Impact of Escalating Tensions and Intensified Fighting in Middle East on Singapore", Official Report, 7 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 139, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
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