SINGAPORE — Singapore has launched a new humanitarian initiative bringing together the Government, established aid organisations and community partners to strengthen relief efforts for civilians affected by the crisis in Gaza.
Named SG for Humanity, the network was launched on Thursday, November 5, 2026. It aims to improve coordination among humanitarian groups, expand opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute and address one of the biggest challenges in delivering assistance: ensuring that supplies and resources actually reach the people who need them.
The initiative brings together four established humanitarian organisations — Humanity Matters, Mercy Relief, Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) and the Singapore Red Cross — under a platform facilitated by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad announced the initiative alongside Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng.
The launch marks a new effort to coordinate Singapore’s humanitarian contributions as the crisis in Gaza continues to create urgent needs involving food, healthcare, clean water, shelter and other essential services.
Singapore wants to turn public support into coordinated humanitarian action
According to MCCY, SG for Humanity is designed to strengthen partnerships between the Government, non-governmental organisations and the wider community.
The platform will provide more opportunities for Singaporeans to take part in humanitarian work, not only through financial donations but also through volunteering, professional expertise, fundraising activities and the preparation of relief supplies.
Zaqy said his participation in four humanitarian missions for Gaza had convinced him that Singapore could do more to help affected communities.
He noted that many Singaporeans were willing to contribute but needed more ways to turn that willingness into meaningful action.
The network is intended to bridge that gap by connecting people who want to help with organisations that already have experience, resources and overseas humanitarian partnerships.
The initiative also creates a more structured platform for professionals, including medical workers, who may want to participate in humanitarian missions.
Zaqy said medical professionals had approached him about contributing their skills, but there had previously been no government-run Singapore platform through which they could easily participate.
Four humanitarian organisations will form the network’s initial partners
MCCY will initially facilitate collaboration among four established organisations:
- Humanity Matters — an interfaith humanitarian organisation involved in relief and community initiatives.
- Mercy Relief — a Singapore-based humanitarian organisation with experience in emergency response and disaster relief.
- Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation — a local charity involved in humanitarian assistance, including support for vulnerable communities in Gaza.
- Singapore Red Cross — the country’s national humanitarian organisation, with experience coordinating relief operations and working with Red Cross and Red Crescent partners overseas.
Each organisation brings different capabilities to the initiative.
Zhulkarnain said their experience includes medical treatment, water treatment, food assistance and mobile clinics. Bringing these capabilities together could help the organisations complement one another rather than work separately on overlapping needs.
Importantly, the network does not replace the participating organisations or take over their existing programmes. MCCY said the organisations will continue leading their own humanitarian work, while SG for Humanity will facilitate joint initiatives, strengthen overseas partnerships and create additional opportunities for public participation.
The Government will also help organisations engage with recognised overseas partners and navigate regulatory and security requirements in the countries where they operate.
Singapore has contributed more than S$25 million since October 2023
The launch builds on Singapore’s existing humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
According to the figures cited in the launch coverage, Singapore has contributed approximately S$25 million worth of humanitarian assistance since October 2023.
The assistance has included food, healthcare, clean water, shelter and education support.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously announced its 11th tranche of humanitarian assistance on December 20, 2025. At the time, the Government said its contributions since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict had exceeded S$25 million.
That announcement also included S$1 million in seed funding to support public fundraising efforts. The amount was to be divided equally among the Singapore Red Cross, RLAF, Humanity Matters and Mercy Relief.
The funding was intended to support water, sanitation, hygiene, food and other relief efforts.
Singapore has also supported the delivery of aid through regional and international humanitarian arrangements.
In August 2025, a Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 transport aircraft departed for Jordan carrying medical supplies and food assistance. The aircraft was scheduled to participate in airdrop operations alongside other foreign air forces at the invitation of the Jordanian Government.
These earlier efforts demonstrate that Singapore’s humanitarian response has involved government agencies, charities, volunteers and international partners.
The biggest challenge is getting aid to the people who need it
Despite the funding and supplies already mobilised, humanitarian organisations continue to face serious challenges in delivering assistance into Gaza.
Zaqy identified last-mile delivery as a key issue that SG for Humanity hopes to address.
Collecting donations and preparing relief supplies are only part of the process. Humanitarian organisations must also coordinate transportation, access arrangements, local partnerships, security conditions and distribution to affected communities.
He said the network would work with overseas partners to help ensure that families and children receive assistance.
The challenge is not limited to the availability of funding. Zhulkarnain said Government facilitation could help organisations coordinate with recognised partners and navigate the regulatory and security requirements of countries where they operate.
Zaqy also noted that humanitarian operations must contend with access restrictions around Gaza and the wider security situation in the Middle East.
The network may therefore help organisations coordinate when and where they can operate safely, including through the sharing of information about security conditions.
This is an important distinction: SG for Humanity is intended to strengthen coordination and delivery partnerships, but its launch does not mean that all aid can immediately enter Gaza or that access restrictions have been resolved.
Singaporeans can contribute beyond financial donations
Another major focus of SG for Humanity is broadening public participation.
Singaporeans who want to help will have opportunities to contribute in several ways, including:
- Supporting fundraising campaigns organised by participating charities.
- Volunteering to prepare and pack humanitarian supplies.
- Contributing professional expertise, including medical skills.
- Participating in awareness campaigns and community initiatives.
- Supporting humanitarian organisations’ work with overseas partners.
Singaporeans living in the region may also be able to participate in humanitarian activities, while those based at home can contribute through fundraising, volunteering and other forms of support.
The initiative is designed to bring together people from different communities and backgrounds around a shared humanitarian objective.
Earlier Gaza aid efforts show why coordination matters
Singapore’s latest initiative follows several years of humanitarian activity involving local charities and international partners.
In December 2025, around 150 volunteers helped prepare approximately 18 tonnes of relief supplies for Gaza through an initiative facilitated by Humanity Matters. The shipment included ready-to-eat food packs and collapsible water containers.
The Straits Times reported at the time that the supplies were intended to be shipped to Jordan before being transported into Gaza through available routes.
That operation highlighted a recurring problem in humanitarian assistance: even when donations and supplies are ready, getting them safely to civilians remains difficult.
Singapore’s earlier efforts have also included airlift operations, fundraising campaigns and partnerships with organisations working in the region.
The new network seeks to build on those existing capabilities instead of starting from scratch.
What SG for Humanity could mean for Singapore’s humanitarian role
The launch of SG for Humanity represents a broader effort to make Singapore’s humanitarian response more coordinated and accessible to the public.
By connecting government agencies, established charities and community volunteers, the initiative could help reduce duplication, strengthen partnerships and make better use of the expertise already available in Singapore.
However, its effectiveness will ultimately depend on whether coordination leads to more reliable assistance reaching affected civilians.
The network still faces practical challenges, including access restrictions, security risks, overseas regulatory requirements and the difficulty of distributing supplies in a conflict-affected area.
For now, Singapore is expanding the ways its people and organisations can contribute to Gaza relief.
The question that remains is whether stronger coordination at home can translate into faster, safer and more consistent assistance on the ground.
With more than S$25 million in humanitarian contributions already reported since October 2023, SG for Humanity now faces a critical test: turning Singapore’s willingness to help into aid that reaches the families who need it most.
