First Aid Ship Leaves Cyprus to Gaza
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13 March 2024 11:18 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A ship loaded with nearly 200 tons of food for Gaza left Cyprus on Tuesday, March 12. The ship is a test of a planned maritime corridor that would transport aid to Palestinians on the verge of famine amid fading prospects for a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Open Arms ship's mission was largely funded by the United Arab Emirates and organized by the U.S.-based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK). It was seen sailing out of the port of Larnaca, towing a barge filled with flour, rice, and protein.
The journey to Cyprus, about 320 kilometers northwest of Gaza, takes about 15 hours, but it could take up to two days because of the heavy tugs.
The voyage will test a planned sea corridor for aid to Gaza announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Larnaca last Friday.
“Our goal is to establish a maritime highway of boats and barges stocked with millions of meals continuously headed towards Gaza,” WCK founder Jose Andres and chief executive officer Erin Gore said in a statement, as quoted from Al Jazeera.
WCK said it would build a dock in Gaza using materials from destroyed buildings and rubble, as there is no port in the region. The move was criticized as an attempt to divert attention from continued U.S. support for Israel as famine sets in and attacks on Gaza continue.
The U.S. military said its ship, General Frank S Besson, was also on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea. The US military also said it had airdropped more than 27,600 meals and 25,900 bottles of water into northern Gaza. However, eyewitnesses reported that five residents, including two children, were killed by the US food aid.
The UN estimated that a quarter of the population in Gaza is now at risk of starvation, with aid only meeting daily needs. The UN also confirmed that Israel is blocking aid to Gaza.
CNA | AL JAZEERA
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