Relief ship readies departure from Cyprus to aid Gaza

European Commission announces plans for maritime aid corridor between Cyprus and Gaza, aimed at providing essential relief supplies to 2.3 million internally displaced Gaza residents

In a bid to address the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, a ship laden with essential relief supplies is poised to set sail from Cyprus this weekend. The European Commission has revealed plans for a maritime aid corridor between Cyprus and Gaza, scheduled to commence operations imminently, spearheaded by an international charity and supported financially by the UAE.

The “Open Arms,” operated by a Spanish non-governmental organization well-known for its efforts in rescuing migrants at sea, will be the ship assigned to the first operation. Open Arms was originally connected to sea rescue missions, but it is now being used to provide Gaza with essential assistance. Currently berthed in Cyprus at the port of Larnaca, the departure time is still unknown as officials rush to complete logistical preparations.

It is around 210 miles northwest of Gaza, and it takes about 15 hours by sea to the destination from Cyprus to the embattled enclave. Meanwhile, to make up for the lack of port infrastructure in the area, the US has revealed plans to build a temporary port to enable humanitarian delivery into Gaza.

First activities are scheduled to make use of facilities in Cyprus, where thorough cargo screening protocols, including Israeli supervision, are in place, eliminating the need for security checks upon arrival in Gaza.

The serious humanitarian situation is made worse by the ongoing impasse in talks to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas. In light of this, relief activities are in full swing, and pallets containing protein, rice, and wheat are being put into boats in Larnaca. These activities, which are kindly supported by the UAE and organized by the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity in partnership with Proactiva Open Arms in Spain, aim to mitigate the immediate danger of starvation that faces Gaza’s population.

Israel’s long-lasting assault against Hamas has made the humanitarian situation in Gaza worse, resulting in a large number of the 2.3 million residents of the territory being internally displaced. The situation has been made worse by delays in assistance distribution at land border crossings, highlighting the need for other routes for the delivery of vital goods. Food supplies have been airdropped as part of measures to strengthen humanitarian deliveries, in addition to the maritime route from Cyprus.

Together with its partners, WCK has underlined the need for ongoing relief operations and acknowledged that many boats are required to guarantee a steady supply of supplies to Gaza. Remarkably, 500 tons more of relief are ready to be sent after the first cargo, demonstrating the determination to deal with the worsening situation.

A WCK representative reaffirmed the company’s commitment to sailing the ship straight to Gaza, where plans are in motion to build a special port. Crucially, this initiative is different from the U.S.-led jetty project, highlighting the multifaceted strategy used to meet Gaza’s urgent humanitarian needs.

Source: Reuters