Cypriot authorities announced on Tuesday that another shipment of food aid is scheduled to leave Cyprus for Gaza in the upcoming days, while the initial delivery is currently being distributed in the conflict-affected region.
A second shipment of food aid is due to depart from Cyprus for Gaza in the coming days, Cypriot authorities said on Tuesday, as the first delivery was being distributed in the war-ravaged territory.
“Within the next few days, the second ship is expected to depart for Gaza,” government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told reporters in Cyprus.
Its departure had been delayed due to stormy weather.
“The cargo has already been loaded onto the second ship, necessary checks have been carried out,” the spokesman added.
World Central Kitchen (WCK), the charity behind the operation, said that the first shipment included almost 200 tonnes of food, which was delivered to northern Gaza with a World Food Program (WFP) convoy.
The shipment, which contained pallets of canned goods and bulk product, has begun to be distributed, World Central Kitchen told AFP.
The war sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel prompted a major humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
UN agencies warned that Gaza’s north, where the needs are greatest, will see famine by May if urgent measures aren’t implemented.
The Open Arms, a vessel that belongs to the namesake Spanish NGO, reached Gaza on Friday after a three-day crossing from the Cypriot port of Larnaca.
A second ship, the Jennifer, was loaded with 240 tonnes of food, as well as “two forklifts and a crane to assist with future maritime deliveries to Gaza,” WCK said in its statement. Cypriot authorities originally announced that the ship Jennifer would set sail last weekend.
However, the group added that there is currently no departure date or time, due to bad weather.
With insufficient aid trucks entering by road, efforts have multiplied to get relief in to Gaza by air and sea.
Cyprus, the nearest European Union member country to Gaza, said that a second, bigger vessel is being readied for the fledgling maritime aid corridor after the Open Arms completes its mission.
With AFP
