SINGAPORE – A new humanitarian network will be set up, bringing together established non-profit organisations and the Government, to strengthen Singapore’s aid efforts in Gaza.
Known as the SG for Humanity initiative, it will identify ways for local groups to collaborate and connect with overseas humanitarian partners.
The Government will support these efforts by facilitating engagement with foreign authorities and humanitarian groups, said Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy.
The aim is to go beyond mobilising funds and resources to strengthening the last-mile delivery of humanitarian assistance and expanding opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute through their expertise, fundraising or volunteering, he added.
For a start, four groups will be involved: Humanity Matters (HM), Mercy Relief (MR), Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), and Singapore Red Cross (SRC), which have been fundraising and providing relief supplies.
Zaqy, who has been involved in four humanitarian aid missions with the Singapore Armed Forces, including an airdrop operation in Gaza, said working more closely with the overseas authorities and partners can help to improve the delivery of aid on the ground, which is where there is a gap.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence noted that the four aid groups, which have been active in Gaza since the war broke out in 2023, have sometimes encountered issues.
With SG for Humanity, the Ministry for Community, Culture and Youth, which will facilitate the network, can work with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to help ensure that the groups can get the aid to families and children who need it most, he said.
Another aim of the initiative is to broaden opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute, he said.
“The willingness to help is there, and we need to create more ways for Singaporeans to act,” he said.
For instance, the network could pave the way for doctors and nurses who are keen to volunteer on the ground.
Doing so through a platform under the Government can provide more assurance to volunteers, said Zaqy, noting that he has received enquiries from many medical professionals.
Beyond Gaza, there are also many displaced Palestinians in the region, and the network can also help to divert aid to these places, said Zaqy.
He added that regular Singaporeans across races and religions have expressed a desire to do more for those affected by the crisis in Gaza, including some Singaporeans who are working in Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
“Many have asked whether they can do something, because otherwise there’s a lot of pent up compassion (and desire) to support our brothers and sisters out there in Palestine,” he said.
“At its heart, SG for Humanity is about turning Singapore’s compassion into action.”
He announced the network along with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng.
MCCY said the four groups that will kick off the initiative have made substantial contributions.
These groups will continue to lead their respective humanitarian programmes and engagements as MCCY facilitates their work through the network.
More details on SG for Humanity’s upcoming initiatives will be announced in due course, said MCCY.
Singapore has contributed over $25 million in humanitarian aid for affected civilians in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, with some 11 tranches of aid so far from the Government.
Aid groups have also provided mobile clinics, psychosocial assistance to children in Gaza, as well as education, water and sanitation.
The Gaza war broke out on Oct 7, 2023, following Hamas’ attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have since killed more than 74,000 people, according to figures tracked by Reuters and the Gaza Health Ministry.
In 2025, the Singapore Government provided S$1 million in seed funding, distributed equally among the four aid groups to support their public fundraising and humanitarian assistance efforts for Gaza.
Zaqy is slated to go on a working visit in the coming weeks to Egypt, which plays a central role in facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
He will meet with Egyptian authorities and humanitarian partners to discuss what more Singapore can do to support aid efforts for those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.