Humanitarian Voyage: First Ship Sets Sail from Cyprus to Gaza’s Maritime Port
Watan-The first ship carrying aid sailed from the port of “Larnaca” in Cyprus on Tuesday morning, according to one of the non-governmental organizations overseeing the operation.
Laura Lanoza, spokesperson for the organization “Open Arms,” stated that the organization’s ship carrying 200 tons of food items “set sail” around 10:50 UAE time (06:50 GMT) on Tuesday.
The first ship heading to Gaza from Cyprus
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides wrote on his platform account, “The ship Amalthea sailed as part of the Cypriot maritime corridor initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is a lifeline for civilians.”
▶️ أول سفينة تحمل مساعدات لـ #غزة تنطلق من قبرص.
– أبحرت سفينة تحمل نحو 200 طن من الأغذية من ميناء في قبرص في تجربة أولى لإطلاق طريق بحري جديد لإيصال المساعدات إلى القطاع الذي ينتشر فيه الجوع بعد 5 أشهر من عدوان متواصل لقوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
وفي ظل عدم وجود بنية تحتية… pic.twitter.com/RCMbRtVMVV
— مركز الأخبار (@omantvnews) March 12, 2024
According to media reports, the ship carries about 200 tons of rice, flour, and canned goods to be distributed in the besieged Palestinian territory through the World Central Kitchen organization founded by Spanish-American chef José Andrés.
The organization stated in a message on X that “the aid provided by the World Central Kitchen organization sailed to Gaza… and we are working to send as many ships as possible.”
The World Central Kitchen has deployed teams in Gaza since the beginning of the war and has constructed a pier to unload the cargo upon the ship’s arrival in the region. However, the location of this pier has not been specified for security reasons.
The Amalthia journey is one of hope and humanity, and it has only just began. The first ship in the context of the Cyprus Maritime Corridor Initiative for humanitarian aid to Gaza has sailed. It is a lifeline to civilians. #Amalthia #CyprusMaritimeCorridor
— NikosChristodoulides (@Christodulides) March 12, 2024
Cyprus is the closest European Union country to Gaza, located about 370 kilometers away.
Gaza Maritime Port
In another context, an American military ship departed from the United States on Saturday loaded with the necessary equipment to build a pier for unloading aid shipments, which may take 60 days.
With aid entry blocked by land into the devastated sector after more than five months of Israeli aggression on Gaza and the blockade of the territory, aid parcels are being dropped by air and will be delivered by sea thanks to the opening of this maritime humanitarian corridor.
After weeks of preparation, WCK’s Operation Safeena is underway. We dispatched almost 200 tons of food for Palestinians in need. The aid is sailing on the Open Arms boat and will be delivered to Gaza where our team is building a jetty to offload the shipment.#ChefsForThePeople pic.twitter.com/Zu1FSBNfeu
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 12, 2024
However, the United Nations asserts that sending aid by sea and the ongoing aerial drop operations involving several countries for weeks cannot replace the land route.
The idea of a maritime port in Gaza, sponsored by the United States and supported by the UAE, has sparked widespread debate and suspicion about the hidden agenda behind this move.
