Von der Leyen announces humanitarian sea corridor from southern Cyprus to Gaza

A humanitarian corridor from southern Cyprus to Gaza will soon open with the support of the EU, U.S., UAE, and the U.K., aiming to deliver aid through a sea route complementing existing land and air routes

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that a humanitarian corridor from southern Cyprus to Gaza would be opened in partnership with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with Israel.

Von der Leyen made the remarks during her visit to the Greek Cypriot administration, where she discussed the initiative to establish a humanitarian corridor to Gaza via the sea.

Stating that the initiative is jointly supported by the European Union, Greek Cypriot administration, the U.S., and the UAE, von der Leyen said, “We are very close to the opening of the corridor. I hope it will be this Sunday. I am delighted to see the start of the first pilot operation today.”

The statement published by the European Commission indicated that all parties and Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and the Netherlands have expressed their intention today to establish a humanitarian aid corridor via the sea.

The statement mentioned that the sea route would complement the existing land route from Egypt and the air route from Jordan, with southern Cyprus convening senior officials shortly to discuss how to expedite the work on the corridor.

The U.S. also announced an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in Gaza in coordination with humanitarian aid partners and other countries to ensure the delivery of aid via the sea. It was noted that the work will be carried out in close collaboration with Israel.

Von der Leyen initially announced the sea corridor plan on Nov. 8, 2023.

Source: Newsroom