Cyprus to send 150 tonnes of aid to Gaza (Videos)
Source: Cyprus Mail
Around 150 tonnes of aid are expected to be sent to Gaza from Larnaca port on Sunday afternoon, once Israel gives its final approval.
The shipment is made as part of Cyprus’ maritime humanitarian corridor ‘Amalthia’.
The trip is expected to take two days until the aid reaches Gaza, however the time of the vessel’s departure will not be made public for security reasons.
It will carry MMS Aris floating unit, as Gaza has no port structure.
“The pallets are filled with desperately-needed ingredients and ready-to-eat food for Palestinian families facing starvation,” US charity World Central Kitchen posted on X.
Members of the charity’s team have been in Larnaca for weeks preparing for the first shipment, working with NGO Open Arms, the UAE and Cyprus.
“The maritime aid corridor will immediately allow us to scale our efforts and reach more families in northern Gaza.”
WCK’s John is in Larnaca, Cyprus where our team is working alongside @openarms_fund, United Arab Emirates & Cyprus to send food aid by sea to Gaza. The maritime aid corridor will immediately allow us to scale our efforts & reach more families in northern Gaza.#ChefsForThePeople pic.twitter.com/3jq1KoGilE
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 9, 2024
Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry, said on X “the Cypriot initiative will allow the increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, after a security check according to Israeli standards.”
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said President Nikos Christodoulides had begun planning the initiative in October, with the help of Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and his team.
It has since been recognised by the EU, US, UAE and the UK, Letymbiotis underlined. The aid corridor is supported by Greece, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, he added.
“The reports in the international press in recent days put our country at the center stage. A Cyprus that takes initiatives with leading action and plays a leading role in the effort to address an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in our own neighborhood.”
During a speech on Saturday evening, Christodoulides said the government has received a series of calls from heads of states, governments and foreign ministers who expressed their desire to participate in this initiative.
He added that Cyprus, as a member state of the European Union, maintains “excellent relations” with all neighbouring states in the region and tries within its capabilities to contribute to addressing such challenges.
“I believe that this development shows that our country can be a pillar of security and stability in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, a region of particular geostrategic importance, always modestly and humbly,” Christodoulides said.
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