First aid consignment via Cyprus corridor departs for Gaza

A boat carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza departs from the port of Larnaca, Cyprus on March 12, 2024. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)

NICOSIA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The first consignment of aid through the Cyprus-based corridor left on Tuesday morning for Gaza, with more aid expected to be shipped soon, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced.

"The journey of hope and humanity has just started," Christodoulides said in a statement after a ship owned by Spanish NGO (non-governmental organization) Open Arms left the Larnaca port in southern Cyprus, towing a barge loaded with food, water and pharmaceuticals.

Due to the low towing speed of the barge, the 400-km journey to Gaza is anticipated to span two days, contrasting with the usual 15-hour duration.

The ship was part of an aid project known as "Amalthea." The Cyprus-proposed project was activated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Christodoulides on Friday in Larnaca and later endorsed in a joint statement by the European Commission, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands.

According to Cypriot media reports, upon arrival in Gaza, the aid will be received by activists from the NOG World Central Kitchen, which will help distribute it to the local population facing dire food shortages.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict in October last year, the Palestinian death toll has climbed to 31,112, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A boat carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza departs from the port of Larnaca, Cyprus on March 12, 2024. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)