A maritime corridor was opened in mid-March between Cyprus and Gaza with the arrival of a first boat containing humanitarian aid, which was very insufficient for UN agencies.
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A second humanitarian ship is heading towards the Gaza Strip. Chartered by the NGOs World Central Kitchen and Open Arms, the Jennifer left the port of Larnaca, on the island of Cyprus, on Saturday March 30, accompanied by two tugboats, to deliver 400 tons of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory on the verge of starvation. According to the Cypriot News Agency, it will take two and a half days to reach the Gaza Strip. World Central Kitchen said the shipment contained rice, pasta, flour, vegetables and proteins.
For its part, the United Arab Emirates provided a shipment of dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the fast during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims.
Aid under close surveillance
The aid should be transported to Gaza via a temporary jetty built by World Central Kitchen southwest of the city where a first boat unloaded its cargo in mid-March under the supervision of the Israeli army. These aid shipments by sea are also inspected on departure from Larnaca by Israeli agents.
Strictly controlled by the Israeli army which has besieged the Gaza Strip since October 9, in the wake of attacks perpetrated in the Jewish state two days earlier by Hamas terrorists, aid by land mainly coming from Egypt via the town of Rafah slowly enters the Palestinian territory. Under these conditions, UN agencies have been warning for weeks of the risk of famine which threatens the majority of the 2.4 million inhabitants of the enclave.
They also affirm that airdrops of aid and the sea route are not enough and that only the opening of land access can help relieve the population. Israel, on the other hand, accuses UN agencies of being incapable of managing and distributing aid.
