Preparations have been completed and the vessel called Jennifer, which has been loaded with around 500 tonnes of aid – sugar, flour, pasta, canned food and milk – and a crane that will make unloading the aid easier, is ready to leave Cyprus’ shores as soon as weather conditions permit, according to government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
Speaking to Trito on Tuesday, Letymbiotis stressed that at the moment, the challenge is to continue and intensify the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He also commented on Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos’ statements on Monday, as he announced that representatives from over 40 countries will meet in Cyprus on March 21 to discuss the operational coordination of the next steps regarding the aid corridor to the Gaza Strip.
“The meeting is mostly aimed at countries that have not publicly expressed interest in taking part in the humanitarian initiative yet,” Letymbiotis explained.
“Our government is in constant communication with the European Union, as the logistical preparations and obstacles to transport humanitarian aid need the best technical support available.”
The first shipment of 200 tonnes of aid has arrived in Gaza and has been safely distributed, Kombos said during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
During the meeting, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who intervened via teleconference, thanked Cyprus for its contribution to the humanitarian corridor to Gaza.
He also confirmed that the US will be represented at Thursday’s meeting by the Chief of Staff for the National Security Council (NSC) Curtis Reid.
“The international meeting of experts will significantly increase the capabilities of transportation and distribution of humanitarian aid, while the creation of a fund for financing the project will also be discussed,” Blinken said.
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