By Manal Abdel Fattah
The European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America announced their intention to open a sea corridor to deliver large quantities of humanitarian aid and additional urgently needed supplies to the Gaza Strip.
They stressed – in a joint statement issued, a copy of which was distributed by the Cyprus Embassy in Cairo – that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “tragic”, as there are innocent Palestinian families and children in dire need of basic necessities.
They added that Cyprus’ leadership in establishing the Amalthea Initiative – which sets out a mechanism to safely ship aid from Cyprus to Gaza by sea – was integral to enabling this joint effort to launch a sea corridor.
They continued, “Together, our countries intend to build on this model to provide significant additional aid by sea, and to work in coordination with the United Nations Chief Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring and verifying the flow of aid to Gaza, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution.” No. 2720″.
They stressed that the UAE’s sincere efforts to mobilize support for this initiative will lead to the initial shipment of food by sea to the residents of Gaza.
According to the joint statement, Cyprus will soon meet with senior officials to discuss how to accelerate this maritime canal that supports those in need, and complements land and air routes, including from Egypt and Jordan.
The statement stated that the United States announced an emergency mission led by the US Army to establish a temporary dock in Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to enable the delivery of large quantities of aid by sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the Government of Israel.
The statement stressed that delivering humanitarian aid directly to Gaza by sea will be a complex matter, and these countries will continue to evaluate and adjust their efforts to ensure that aid is provided as effectively as possible.
He noted that this sea corridor can and should be part of a continuing effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods to Gaza via all possible routes.
The European Commission and the countries that issued the joint statement confirmed that they will continue to work with Israel to expand aid deliveries by land, and insist on facilitating more roads and opening additional crossings to deliver more aid to a greater number of people.
They stressed that protecting civilian lives is an essential element of international humanitarian law and must be respected, “and we must all do more to ensure that aid reaches the people who need it most.”
