Nicosia, 14 March 2024 (TDI): The Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, organized a virtual meeting on the humanitarian aid to Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the meeting.
Moreover, European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, and UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag were also present.
Participants presented their countries’ contributions to humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza.
Additionally, they discussed addressing logistical challenges facing the delivery of aid to Gaza.
Ministers stressed there is no substitution for aid delivery other than land routes via Egypt and Jordan. Moreover, they stressed the importance of opening Ashdod Port for the maritime corridor.
Furthermore, the Ministers agreed to visit Cyprus to receive detailed briefings concerning the maritime corridor. Discussion on this matter also includes consultations on establishing a joint fund to support the maritime corridor and its sustainability.
The ministers repeated that this corridor should increase humanitarian and commercial goods to Gaza by all means. The meeting was concluded by stressing Israel’s role in opening more crossings to allow more aid to Gaza.
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Aid Ship departs from Cyprus to Gaza
On Tuesday, an aid ship bound for Gaza departed from Larnaca, Cyprus. World Central Kitchen (WCK) collected 200 tons of food, including rice, beans, and canned meat. It equates to 500,000 meals.
Spanish organization Open Arms and the United Arab Emirates assisted WCK in delivering assistance to Gaza. WCK representatives said the aim is to deliver millions of meals to Gaza, emphasizing that 500 tons of food are waiting to be dispatched.
