Within the next 24 hours, perhaps even tomorrow, the first ship is expected to leave Larnaca for Gaza carrying humanitarian aid. The arrival tonight of the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will essentially mark, barring the unexpected, the opening of the humanitarian corridor.
On the Nicosia side, radio silence is maintained, as for security reasons nothing is leaked on the subject nor on the exact date of departure of the first ship. “We are very close,” say diplomatic sources. However, converging information and from foreign publications, bring the implementation of the initiative to be in the final stage. A Reuters publication even states that the transfer will take place before Ramadan, which is on Sunday. This means that tomorrow, i.e. during the presence of the President of the Commission, or at the latest on Saturday, the first ship carrying humanitarian aid will depart.
As reported in the Reuters report on Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the matter said that in the next few days humanitarian aid is expected to sail for Gaza from Cyprus. The report noted that it was not clear which country provided the aid, where it would land or how it would be distributed. The source said the aid is being coordinated with the United Arab Emirates.
“They want the aid to be sent before the start of Ramadan” on Sunday, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The publication also mentions that the provision of aid to Gaza has become urgent as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
The publication also mentions the visit of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who as noted, will visit the port of Larnaca tomorrow. The port has been designated as a staging point for aid shipments.
The report also points out how Cyprus is located 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Gaza in the Mediterranean and is the closest European Union state to the region.
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