The Spanish NGO Open Arms has prepared a ship with 200 tons of food that is expected to sail from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip this weekend and open the new maritime corridor for humanitarian aid announced by the United States. and the European Union.
As sources from the NGO have informed EFE, this is an initiative led by this entity and World Central Kitchen, an NGO founded by the renowned Spanish chef José Andrés, who have been preparing the aid for months and have authorization from the Government of Cyprus. , Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.
The humanitarian corridor
This Friday, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, announced that the maritime corridor with international aid for the enclave affected by the war would begin to operate this weekend, although Open Arms sources have stated that they have not received any financial or any kind of support from the EU.
Von der Leyen pointed out that there would be “a first pilot trip leaving Cyprus today”, but the NGO does not know if she refers to this mission, since they say they learned about this announcement from the press.
They emphasize that this expedition is the result of immense work, “day and night”, by the two NGOs: “If they want to join, it will be wonderful,” the sources have indicated.
A shipment agreed in December
This is a shipment already agreed upon in December 2023, which had not materialized until now and will break the maritime blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007.
The NGO has highlighted the great “complexity” of the operation at a technical and diplomatic level, as it has the approval of all the parties involved.
The boat will leave this weekend
The ship will leave this weekend and, after traveling approximately 400 kilometers, it will take the food – flour, rice and cans of tuna – to the Gaza Strip, where it will be received by ground teams from World Central Kitchen, who will be in charge of the distribution of food.
The mission has included the need to build a breakwater in the arrival area, which sources did not want to detail for security reasons, since this will take place on a beach, since the port was destroyed many years ago.
Willing to make more shipments
If the food shipment is successful, on which “multiple factors” depend, and the authorities allow it, Open Arms of Spain is willing to make more shipments of this type to help alleviate the risk of famine suffered by Gaza where it is already The death of at least six children due to malnutrition has been confirmed, according to hospital sources.
The initiative is born from the good experience that the two NGOs had in their alliance to send humanitarian aid to Odessa, during the war in Ukraine.
Cyprus warns of the possibility of incidents
The Government of Cyprus confirmed that the first ship with humanitarian aid to Gaza, from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, could leave this weekend from the island, but warned that there are issues to be clarified and security incidents cannot be ruled out. since it is a “war zone”.
“There are too many elements, so no one can say that there is no problem, because we are moving in a war zone,” said the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Constantinos Kombos, when asked by the CNA agency about whether Israel has given security guarantees for the arrival of aid by sea.
BY: Rehan Akram
