After long 'technical' delay, Gaza-bound aid ship departs from Cyprus
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The charity ship by Open Arms launches its 200-mile(320 km) trip from Larnaca port in Cyprus, towing a barge containing flour, rice, and protein.
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Aid packages, left, on a platform near the ship owned by Open Arms aid group, center front, as it prepares to ferry some 200 tonnes of rice and flour directly to Gaza, at the port in Larnaca, Cyprus, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP)
A ship carrying almost 200 tons of food for Gaza departed a port in Cyprus early today in a pilot project attempting to unlock a new sea route for aid delivery into Gaza, Reuters reported.
The charity ship by Open Arms launched its 200-mile(320 km) trip from Larnaca port in Cyprus, towing a barge containing flour, rice, and protein.
According to Cypriot officials, it might take up to 2 days to reach Gaza.
"Our goal is to establish a maritime highway of boats and barges stocked with millions of meals continuously headed towards Gaza," World World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres and chief executive officer Erin Gore announced in a statement.
WCK added that it has an extra 500 tons of aid in Cyprus ready for transportation.
About the landing jetty being constructed in Gaza as announced by Biden on March 7, Andres stated on X today that the construction of the jetty was "well underway", adding, "We may fail, but the biggest failure will not be trying!"
.@WCKitchen “Operation Safeena”, (boat,vessel) on its way! First trip to the shores of Gaza, learning. At the same time as @openarms_fund is moving, construction of the Jetty is well underway….we may fail, but the biggest failure will be not trying! Thank you to all that made it… pic.twitter.com/vKavoczEJN
— José Andrés 🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) March 12, 2024
EU to open sea corridor for Gaza aid amid Palestinian doubt
The EU declared on March 8 the initiation of a maritime passage to transport humanitarian assistance from Cyprus to Gaza, allegedly aiming to prevent a famine that is already causing casualties.
“We are now very close to the opening of the corridor, hopefully this Sunday [March 10]. And I’m very glad to see that an initial pilot operation will be launched today,” the EU Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, informed reporters following a visit to the harbor facilities at the Cypriot port of Larnaca, which served as the starting point for the aid shipments.
A trial shipment was reportedly anticipated to depart on March 9, utilizing a vessel managed by the Spanish search and rescue organization Open Arms, transporting food supplied by the charitable organization World Central Kitchen.
“Today we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and we stand by the innocent civilians in Palestine,” Von der Leyen claimed.
However, as there was a delay in the ship's departure, the Cyprus government spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, informed the Cypriot official news agency on March 10 that the exact timing of the vessel’s departure would not be released to the public for “security reasons”.
At a later time that day, it was reported that due to “technical difficulties”, the ship might not dispatch before the morning of March 12.
Late on March 12, Greek Cypriot media announced that delays in building the landing jetty for the aid were accountable.
Biden directs US military to establish temporary pier for aid to Gaza
Also on March 8, US President Joe Biden announced during his State of the Union address that he is directing his military to lead the mission that will establish a temporary pier that will bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
"Tonight, I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters," he said during his speech.
"No US boots will be on the ground," Biden claimed.
He added that the temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza, but stressed that "Israel" must play its part in the process for it to be successful.
Earlier, a senior Biden administration official said the temporary port will feature a pier that will "provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day."
According to the official, the shipments will be screened by the United States and partners in European Union member Cyprus.
