A Joint Statement from the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the United Kingdom endorsing the activation of a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza was issued Friday.
Cyprus’ leadership in establishing the Amalthea Initiative, which outlines a mechanism for securely shipping aid from Cyprus to Gaza via sea, was integral to enabling the joint effort to launch a maritime corridor, the joint statement says.
The statement from the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom in which they endorse the Activation of a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza, points out that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with innocent Palestinian families and children desperate for basic necessities.
“That is why today, the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Ki
ngdom, and the United States announce our intent to open a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional amounts of humanitarian assistance by sea”, it is noted.
The statement says that the nations intend to build on this model to deliver significant additional aid by sea, working in coordination with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2720.
”The dedicated efforts of the UAE to mobilize support for the Initiative will result in the initial shipment of food by sea to the people of Gaza”, the joint statement reads.
According to the statement, Cyprus will soon convene senior officials to discuss how the nations can accelerate this maritime channel, supporting those in need, supplementing land and air routes, including from Egypt and Jordan.
It is added that the United States announced an emergency mission led by the U.S. mili
tary to establish a temporary pier in Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by sea. These efforts, the statement says, will be closely coordinated with the Government of Israel.
The joint statement underlines that the delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza by sea will be complex, ”and our nations will continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as possible”.
It is noted, furthermore, that this maritime corridor can and must be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza, through all possible routes.
“We will continue to work with Israel to expand deliveries by land, insisting that it facilitate more routes and open additional crossings to get more aid to more people. We affirm that protecting civilian lives is a key element of international humanitarian law that must be respected. And together, we mu
st all do more to ensure aid gets to people who desperately need it”, the statement reads.
Source: Cyprus News Agency