From the beginning of May, when the floating pier option was activated, until today, over 15,000 pallets of humanitarian aid have been transported to Gaza through the pier, which translates to more than 8,600 tons of humanitarian aid, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Theodoros Gotsis told CNA.
This, Gotsis said, is “a very significant achievement.”
In a specific period in June, the aid transported “was the second largest in volume to arrive in Gaza and consequently, the Amalthea Plan-as reflected by yesterday’s delivery by Italy of a scanner to facilitate the transit of emergency aid to Gaza, “demonstrates that our efforts are ongoing”.
Regarding the continuation of efforts to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza, Gotsis said that “we are in contact with all involved partners, especially the office of Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023) which is overseeing this entire effort, in order to activate other options of the Amalt
hea Plan that will help continue the ongoing effort”.
Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that during this entire period, a smaller amount of humanitarian aid was also transported to the port of Ashdod in Israel. “Therefore, the consultations we mentioned, which will continue with the parties directly involved, obviously include the Israeli authorities to optimize the use of the port of Ashdod and the subsequent transfer of aid. This is the position of both the international community and, of course, the EU, including Cyprus, as we have said and emphasized, that the ‘Amalthea’ corridor is complementary and, as has been repeatedly stressed, it is important to activate all available transit routes.”
The pier placed off Gaza by the US, he clarified, was temporary and was one of the options considered for transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza.
When asked if the US has mentioned any other way, it can contribute to the Amalthea Plan, he said that “the US certainly continues to be a strategic partner
” in this effort and that intensive consultations with the core of the main partners, including the US, the EU, and the UAE, are ongoing.
Source: Cyprus News Agency