First Aid Ship Successfully Unloads in Gaza, Second Ship Loading

The first shipment of food aid, transported by sea, has arrived and successfully been offloaded in the Gaza Strip. The involved parties have hailed it as a success and have commenced loading a second aid ship in Cyprus. The aim is to establish a ‘maritime highway’ for aid goods.

Successful Delivery of Food Aid

The ship, Open Arms, carried approximately 110 pallets, amounting to about 200 tons of food aid, as reported by the aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK). This is the first time that the new aid route over the sea has been utilized.

Due to the lack of operational ports in the Gaza Strip, a temporary pier has been constructed using rubble. As the pier was not yet fully completed, the unloading of the aid goods took a few hours.

Aiding the North of Gaza

José Andrés, the renowned chef behind WCK, stated that eleven trucks have departed for locations in the north of the Gaza Strip. WCK is cooperating with the non-profit organization Proactiva Open Arms.

International Efforts

The sea corridor is a collaboration between the European Union, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and other partners. Cyprus has been working on a sea corridor since December. Late last year, the country received preliminary permission from Israel to open the corridor. However, Israeli soldiers inspect all ships before they head towards Gaza.