Larnaca, 13 March 2024 (TDI): On Tuesday, March 12, an aid ship bound for Gaza left Larnaca, Cyprus. The voyage came after days of delay due to technical issues concerning jetty landing.
World Central Kitchen (WCK) the United States-based charity, founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, collected the aid. Open Arms and the United Arab Emirates helped WCK in collecting the aid.
The Spanish group Open Arms transported the aid ship, loaded with some 200 tons of food. The ship departed from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and is expected to arrive in Gaza in two or three days.
A WCK representative said the goal is to establish a maritime highway to deliver millions of meals to Gaza continuously. The aid includes flour, rice, beans, lentils, and canned meat for approximately 500,000 meals.
Also Read: WFP delivers vital food aid to Gaza
If the mission succeeds, it will be delivered to Gaza by sea for the first time since 2007. It came after Israel sealed off the delivery of assistance by road where 2.3 million Gazans were on the brink of starvation and malnutrition.
WCK said it has an additional 500 tons of food ready for dispatch toward Gaza.
“WCK is working with volunteers and thousands of contractors locally to organize and distribute the aid”, the WCK spokesperson said. WCK has partnered with Cyprus, UAE and the Spanish charity Open Arms to coordinate the dispatch.
However, this operation is separate from those proposed by US President Joe Biden. He announced a plan to establish a new port in Gaza to increase humanitarian delivery to the war-ravaged enclave.
According to the plan, the US military will set up a pier off the shore of Gaza without any US troops on the ground.
