A humanitarian aid ship delivered 200 tons of food and water supplies to Gaza on Friday, opening a sea route from Cyprus for aid to help ease the humanitarian crisis brought by Israel’s 5-month-old offensive in the enclave.
This was the first humanitarian aid ship to arrive in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023. The new maritime corridor is a ray of hope for hungry Palestinians as Israel continues to restrict deliveries by road. It is also the first vessel authorized to deliver aid to Gaza since 2005 and is seen as a pilot effort for a new maritime aid corridor.
The five months of war have left around a quarter of its 2.3 million residents “one step away” from famine, according to the United Nations. Reports suggest that many Palestinian children have already died from malnutrition and dehydration.
Key Highlights
- First aid ship reaches Gaza with 200 tons of food aid and 500,000 meals.
- The initiative is led by the non-profit World Central Kitchen and the ship is run the Spanish charity Open Arms.
- The food will be distribute in war-ravaged Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of the enclave’s 2 million people are on the brink of famine.
Open Arms vessel and World Central Kitchen to the rescue
The Open Arms vessel, named after the Spanish charity, set off from Cyprus with 200 tons of food for the people of Gaza amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
The ship towed a barge loaded with some 200 metric tons of rice, flour, lentils, and canned tuna, beef and chicken, supplied by the World Central Kitchen charity, across the Mediterranean from Cyprus.
The food was collected by World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, which operates a network of around 60 kitchens across the Gaza Strip. “Our goal is to establish a maritime highway of boats and barges stocked with millions of meals continuously headed towards Gaza,” Andrés and the NGO’s CEO, Erin Gore, said in a statement.
World Central Kitchen, in collaboration with the governments of Cyprus and the UAE, as well as the Spanish NGO Open Arms, vows to embark on a series of journeys across the Mediterranean under the operation named Safeena, meaning “boat” or “vessel” in Arabic.
The organization confirmed that all cargo was offloaded from the ship. “All cargo was offloaded and is being readied for distribution in Gaza,” World Central Kitchen said in a statement, noting that the aid was “almost 200 tons of food”.
Second aid ship to leave soon
The charity sending essential food supplies to Gaza from Cyprus via the Mediterranean is gearing up to send a second vessel with aid supplies in the coming days, aiming to alleviate the worsening humanitarian situation.
Loaded with 300 tons of food aid — 50% more than the initial shipment— the second boat will depart from the port of Larnaca. The aid includes canned goods such as beans, carrots, tuna, chickpeas, and corn, along with rice, flour, oil, and salt, essential for the survival of the vulnerable population in Gaza.
Airdrops and sea routes are no alternative to aid delivery by land: aid groups
As logistical hurdle and Israeli security checks slow and hamper land aid delivery to Gaza, several countries are now pursuing alternatives including airdrops and the new maritime corridor. However, aid groups say that the airdrops and sea shipments are far less efficient than trucks in delivering the massive amounts of aid needed.
In a joint statement, 25 non-governmental organizations called on the world governments to prioritize a ceasefire and increased land-based aid deliveries, warning that maritime aid may set a dangerous precedent that undermines land routes and allows for prolonged hostilities.
“After enduring five months of continuous bombardments and dehumanizing conditions, children, women and men in Gaza have the right to more than meager charity dropped from the sky,” the statement said, adding that transportation by air or by sea should be seen as complementary to land transportation and not as a substitute.
“States cannot hide behind airdrops and efforts to open a maritime corridor to create the illusion that they are doing enough to support the needs in Gaza: their primary responsibility is to prevent atrocity crimes from unfolding and apply effective political pressure to end the relentless bombardment and the restrictions which prevent the safe delivery of humanitarian aid,” aid groups said in a statement.
UN issues famine warning
The United Nations has issued a warning, stating that over 576,000 individuals in Gaza, constituting a quarter of the population, are on the brink of famine. Global pressure mounts on Israel to grant more access to the territory to alleviate the crisis.
Janez Lenarčič, the EU’s humanitarian aid and crisis management chief, highlighted pockets of famine in Gaza, urging Israel to open additional routes for aid delivery to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Concerns persist regarding the unloading and distribution of aid upon arrival in Gaza. Efforts are underway to construct a makeshift jetty using rubble from buildings destroyed during previous conflicts to facilitate the process.
Gaza presents a unique set of challenges for aid organizations, with plans for docking and distribution continually adapting to the complex political environment.
Tragically, incidents of violence have marred aid distributions, with six people reported killed and dozens wounded during a recent altercation with Israeli forces in Gaza City.
The White House has called for an investigation into an Israeli airstrike on a UN food distribution facility in Gaza, highlighting the urgency of addressing humanitarian needs amidst escalating tensions.
In response to mounting pressure, Israel has pledged to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza through various entry points, including convoys, airdrops, and seaborne cargoes.