The first shipment of humanitarian aid from Cyprus and the UK containing almost 90 tonnes of assistance has arrived to Egypt’s Port Said and is being transported to the Rafah crossing to reach Gaza, Cyprus’ foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.
The news comes after weeks of speculation as to what the fate of the aid has been, after news broke it was dispatched two weeks ago.
According to the foreign ministry announcement, the maritime humanitarian corridor initiative dubbed ‘Amalthia’ had two “very specific parameters” both of which have been met.
“We announce today that the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom, in a spirit of excellent cooperation and full understanding, have dispatched the first shipment of almost 90 tonnes of aid, transported by a suitable UK vessel, which could serve any delivery option, the choice of which was assessed according to the conditions on the ground.”
The shipment also includes 10 tonnes of medicine, contributed by Cyprus.
“This humanitarian aid arrived in Port Said, Egypt, and will then be transferred, in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent, to the designated crossing point of Rafah, in accordance with the applicable procedures.
“The process of receiving and distributing the aid to the Gaza Strip involves the relevant actors involved in the process on the basis of existing arrangements, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Present at the arrival of the humanitarian aid cargo in Port Said were the Chief of Staff and staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Cairo.”
The foreign ministry specified that the implementation aspect of the Amalthia Plan, which includes the option for immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, is now in place.
“The use of this option, which did not exist but was created, can be timed to materialise when the international community chooses to activate it. The Republic of Cyprus did not promise from the outset that it could control all aspects, but on the contrary, it is working to the best of its ability to help deal with the rapidly deteriorating situation.”
The two parameters included first, the establishment of an operational mechanism to safely receive, store and load significant quantities of humanitarian aid, in a manner that can meet “the increased security needs of stakeholders.”
Secondly, it was important to ensure cooperation with states that have the available facilities that could transport the aid on sea, depending on the choice of delivery point (Gaza, Egypt, Israel) and the timing of the delivery depending on conditions on the ground, the foreign ministry said.
“Both parameters have been implemented and have been publicly accepted by Israel and received the practical support of the United Kingdom. Both of these elements are not insignificant and we continue to consult with other necessarily involved parties, including the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations.”
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