Glasgow to Gaza: The student delivering an ambulance to support relief efforts in Palestine

A Glasgow student is delivering an ambulance from Scotland to Gaza to help those injured in the conflict with Israel.

Umran Ali Javaid, who is studying at Glasgow Caledonian University, bought the second-hand ambulance earlier this year with the aim to donating it to aid workers.

It’s not the first time Umran has driven an ambulance across countries; this ambulance marks the 41st emergency vehicle he’s transported to conflict zones including Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine. 

Umran says: “The ambulance does save lives. It’ll help a few hundred people in the coming months, but they do save lives as well. And the lives that it saves, if its baby boy or girl or any civilian, they can go on to live a life, have a family or, you know, maybe grow old and see the world, that kind of stuff. So, and that’s what motivates me to keep sending ambulances.

“Also, it’s there to protect the innocent and help the innocent. There are still millions of people that need help; there’s limits to what, you know, one ambulance can do. But when a person finds out that the ambulance came and we delivered that for them, it makes a difference to the life of that person.”

Umran adds that the ambulances he’s delivered will provide extra protection to civilians, as they have the distinct markings, lights and sirens of British ambulances, which are not allowed to be attacked in conflict zones.

His journey, which started in Glasgow, has already taken him across Europe. Umran will continue to drive to Turkey to take a ship across to Egypt, and from there, he’ll arrive at the Rafah border, where he’ll hand over the ambulance to the UN agency, UNRWA.

He makes the final stretch of his journey as discussions of a possible ceasefire take place between Israel and Hamas. 

More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began on October 7 last year, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

Around 13,800 of those killed were children, whilst UNICEF estimated that around 17,00 further Palestinian children are currently separated from their parents.

Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for UNRWA, the UN Agency which will be accepting the donated ambulance from Umran, says: “Everything is crucial at this time. This is the sharpest, deepest humanitarian crisis in this region in decades. Efforts like Umran’s, they’re not only important in terms of bringing in equipment, but also the symbolism of it.

“Whenever, whoever and whatever people can afford to put in, they know that there’s a direct result for people on the ground in Gaza. And then his project, of course, it makes that even more tangible, because he’s actually doing it, you know?

“It’s the symbolism of the process of driving the ambulance from Glasgow to Gaza, and getting it to the people. Those kinds of actions and gestures are what everybody needs right now. And it brings a bit of cheer to the very, very embattled people as well.”

Umran is working towards his Master’s degree on the International Tourism and Events course at Glasgow Caledonian University, in Glasgow’s city centre.

He takes pride in knowing that whilst he’s studying at university, in meetings or just ‘out and about’, his ambulances are still out there helping people, which is what motivates him to keep delivering them to conflict zones.

Michael O’Regan, one of Umran’s lecturers in Tourism and Events at GCU, says: “Maybe at first glance, they seem to be unconnected, that you’d want to do a management degree with humanitarian work. 

“I think events and tourism programmes usually have a pretty common objectives in developing practical skills for the planning and execution of experiences; event experiences, or tourism experiences, nurturing leadership, problem solving skills, flexibility and adaptability.

“I think Umran clearly demonstrated, he’s applying and excelling in those areas. But in a very unique and impactful way. He’s showcasing the potential for students to use their knowledge and experience to create a better world.

“Hopefully, the university community can celebrate Umran’s achievements and use his story to encourage a culture of service and a social responsibility among students.”

You can support UNRWA’s humanitarian efforts by donating here: https://donate.unrwa.org/gaza/~my-donation?_cv=1