A 3-Ship Convoy Leaves Cyprus’s Larnaca Port For Gaza With 400 Tonnes Of Food & Aid

A three-ship convoy carrying nearly 400 tonnes of vital aid departed Cyprus’s Larnaca Port on March 30, 2024, amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by imminent starvation and continuous violence.

The shipment, organized by the US charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in collaboration with Spain’s Open Arms charity, contains essential food items such as rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, proteins, and dates—enough to feed over a million hungry Palestinians.

This convoy represents the second maritime supply of aid to Gaza this month, having been halted by Israel for 17 years to allow supplies to enter from Cyprus.

The project comes as the United Nations warns of an impending famine in Gaza, where 300,000 people are facing malnutrition as conflicts continue.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the primary source of relief funding, providing a lifeline to a population suffering from food scarcity and displacement brought on by violence.

It will take around 60 hours to reach Gaza, which has no port facilities. The trip will involve a cargo ship, a platform pulled by a salvage vessel, and a support team on a tugboat.

Video Credits: WGN News/YouTube

Interestingly, the convoy includes tools like cranes and forklifts to help with future maritime deliveries. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has revealed that plans are in progress for the United States to build a floating pier off the coast of Gaza.

The project is expected to be completed by May 1, but it could be ready as early as April 15, 2024.

Humanitarian organizations emphasize the necessity of permitting more significant relief supplies by land, citing the inadequacy of present delivery options to satisfy Gaza’s population’s tremendous needs despite efforts to supply aid by air and sea.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has underlined that obstacles to assistance distribution include security concerns, a lack of collaboration with Israeli authorities, a lack of trucks, and fuel shortages, all of which worsen the situation.

Incidents of aid-related fatalities highlight the seriousness of the issue against this backdrop. Recent events include a devastating stampede during a road aid distribution in northern Gaza, which killed five people and injured many others.

These kinds of instances highlight how urgently the afflicted region needs extensive and speedy humanitarian help to prevent more deaths.

Reference: Reuters, Aljazeera

A 3-Ship Convoy Leaves Cyprus’s Larnaca Port For Gaza With 400 Tonnes Of Food & Aid appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News