Senior officials from 35 countries and representatives of international organisations are meeting today in Larnaca to discuss and seek solutions to the food crisis affecting the Gaza Strip, due to ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian enclave.
The 150 representatives from countries and organizations participating either physically or virtually will discuss the coordination and management of aid departing by sea from Cyprus to Gaza.
Also on the agenda is the issue of financial support for the “Amalthea” plan.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that “since the beginning of the current crisis in the Middle East, Cyprus has worked intensively and systematically to implement the initiative for creating a maritime corridor, a direction for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. An initiative based on geographical proximity, excellent relations with all directly involved parties, and international humanitarian law.”
The activation of the “Amalthea” Plan led to the first maritime mission via the Open Arms ship and the assistance of the World Central Kitchen, with a second mission to follow shortly.
As part of determining the next steps, Cyprus is hosting today at the “Zenon” Coordination Centre in Larnaca a meeting of Senior Officials, in which the core of directly involved partners will participate, as well as other interested parties.
In total, 35 countries will participate in the meeting, including Cyprus.
The United Nations (UN) will also be represented through the Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction in Gaza, as well as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and UNOPS.
The European Union (EU) will be represented through the Director-General of DG ECHO of the European Commission, representatives of USAID, as well as representatives from the World Central Kitchen and FOGBOW.
The aim of the meeting is to coordinate technical aspects of the “Amalthea” Plan to enhance its sustainability, such as establishing a Common Fund and other logistical support aspects.
In anticipation of today’s meeting, Foreign Minister Konstantinos Koubas had a series of contacts with key individuals in the entire project.
The first meeting of the Foreign Minister was with Curtis Ried, Chief of Staff and Counselor of the White House National Security Council, followed by meetings with Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimi, the Deputy Minister of International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, and Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction in Gaza.
During the meeting, various issues arising from the implementation of the Amalthea plan were discussed, such as operational adjustments and planning both for the departure, transportation, and delivery of aid, as well as for the effectiveness of integrating states and entities joining the project.
Meanwhile, the President of the Foreign and Defence Committee of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, expressed gratitude for the support of the Republic of Cyprus to Israel and the immediate condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attack, as well as for the country’s initiative to open a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to a statement from the parliament, the President of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee, Haris Georgiades, held an online meeting with Edelstein on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the importance of further deepening and strengthening the already excellent relations between the parliaments of Cyprus and Israel was emphasised, particularly in light of the current crisis period for regional peace, security, and stability.
Georgiades and Edelstein jointly expressed readiness for the swift resumption of exchanges between the committees they chair, including within the framework of trilateral cooperation between the Parliamentary Committees of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus-Greece-Israel.
Participants
A total of 35 countries, including Cyprus, four international organizations, and two NGOs, have confirmed their participation in the international conference to address the food crisis facing Gaza.
Specifically, the 35 countries are: United States, United Kingdom, France, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Brazil, Denmark, Czech Republic, Israel, Australia, Germany, Bulgaria, Singapore, Netherlands, Slovenia, Japan, Canada, Malta, Qatar, Hungary, Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, South Korea, and Cyprus.
The four international organizations present tomorrow are the European Union, the United Nations, USAID (United States Agency for International Development), WHO (World Health Organization). Also participating are the NGO WCK and the company FOGBOW.
