Cyprus convened a crucial meeting on Thursday with the objective of bolstering aid shipments to the war-torn Gaza Strip through a maritime route, as outlined by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.
Delegates from 36 nations, along with representatives from United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations, convened at the Cypriot port of Larnaca. This gathering occurred as one aid vessel set sail earlier in the month, with a second ship poised for departure.
The inaugural journey was undertaken by the charity-operated Open Arms, transporting a barge laden with 200 tonnes of essential food aid across the Mediterranean. The vessel successfully reached Gaza on Friday.
Amidst ongoing challenges with insufficient aid truck access due to the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict, efforts have intensified to deliver relief through air and sea channels, although humanitarian officials emphasize the importance of overland routes.
The focus of Thursday’s meeting in Cyprus, the nearest European Union member state to Gaza, was on securing funding for the maritime aid corridor and enhancing operational capabilities, as stated by Kombos. He highlighted the willingness of G7 nations, the European Union, and the United Nations to contribute to the relief efforts, underscoring the crucial involvement of aid agencies and charitable organizations.
Kombos emphasized the meeting’s aim to synchronize actions among participating states and entities, stressing the importance of leveraging Cyprus’s strategic geographical position to maximize aid delivery to Gaza.
While acknowledging limitations in reception and distribution capacities, Kombos clarified that there were no immediate plans for ground infrastructure projects in Gaza.
The U.S. aid group World Central Kitchen, in collaboration with the Spanish Open Arms, established a temporary jetty southwest of Gaza City to receive the initial aid shipment. Additionally, the U.S. military intends to construct a larger pier to facilitate future deliveries.
