Thousands of obstacles to maritime aid in the Gaza Strip
- March 13, 2024
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The first food ship departed on Tuesday from Cyprus, bound for humanitarian corridor created by the European Union towards the Gaza Strip, the threat of famine after more
The first food ship departed on Tuesday from Cyprus, bound for humanitarian corridor created by the European Union towards the Gaza Strip, the threat of famine after more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas. According to the Hamas government’s health ministry, 27 people, including at least 21 childrendied for malnutrition And dehydration in Gaza hospitals since the beginning of the war, October 7.
Mission called Operation Safina (boat in Arabic), It is very complex due to problems that have arisen since it began to take shape more than two months ago. Your cargo is small 200 tons products such as rice, flour or canned goods will be distributed by World Central Kitchen (WCK), led by Spanish-American chef José Andrés.
“The biggest challenges of this mission began the moment we started thinking about carrying it out. This is something we have been thinking about for several months, but three weeks ago we started working in person at the port of Larnaca. In the first days we realized that the probability of this was low, that it would be extremely difficult to achieve the opening of this sea corridor, which had been blocked for so many years. And so, we have overcome all the difficulties and, finally, today ideal conditions have been created so that we can set sail.” Laura Lanuza, a representative of Open Arms, told RFI.
⛴️ This is how the joint mission sailed from the port of Larnaca this morning 🇨🇾 #Open arms And @WCKitchen Course on #A looploaded with 200 tons of food.
🕊️This is how this humanitarian sea corridor to the Gaza Strip began, with a very difficult mission. We believe that this step… pic.twitter.com/ztx1mWaO4n
— Open arms (@openarms_fund) March 12, 2024
One of the first tasks of the operation was how and where to move 200 tons of aid, Considering He Open Arms does not have this feature. The solution came as platform 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. On the platform, tied to the ship by steel cables, are 200 tons of non-perishable food, including tin cans. tuna, flour, rice and legumes distributed across 130 pallets. To unload the cargo, I had to resort to creativity, because the condition required condition Israel imposed the fact that the crew did not maintain any contact with the population of Gaza. Over the course of several weeks, World Central Kitchen built the dock using crushed stones, cranes and construction vehicles, which are still in operation today. His location is not disclosed for security reasons. In this sense, “creativity” was key, according to Laura Lanuza for RFI.
Another challenge was the weather. It was for this reason that the ship’s departure, originally scheduled for last Saturday, was postponed. According to NGOs, the limit for going out to sea was that the waves did not exceed one and a half meters in height. He Open arms The boat, which the NGO usually uses to carry out sea rescue efforts for migrants in the Mediterranean, departed when weather conditions were determined to be most suitable for the trip.
“We want this trip to be the first of many. “Let this path become permanent because the situation in Gaza is fragile and this can ease the situation.” An Open Arms representative told RFI.
Photo: Reuters | Open Arms members deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
Cyprus is already preparing a second, “much larger” ship, said the head of Cypriot diplomacy, Konstantinos Kombos, before proposing a “more systematic process with larger volumes” of aid. In recent days, several countries have been airdropping food parcels. “Time is of the essence to avoid famine, especially in the north of the sector, which does not receive enough food aid,” Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program (WFP), warned in the final hours.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last month estimated that 2.2 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents were already “in food crisis or worse.” at “stage 3 or higher” (out of 5) of the hunger classification.
The Muslim world entered on Monday holy month of fasting Ramadan, synonymous with a hearty family dinner at sunset, but this year there will be no celebration for Palestinians in Gaza.
Radio France International
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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