The dispatch of a vessel loaded with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza is experiencing delays, attributed to logistical issues, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday.
Sources told CNA that the holdup is primarily because the receiving platform in Gaza, designated to accommodate the ship’s cargo of roughly 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid, is not yet prepared.
Initially, the vessel was scheduled to set sail on Sunday afternoon; however, this timeline was adjusted to this morning.
As of midday, there has been no further communication on the exact timing for the departure.
The United Nations has said at least 576,000 people in Gaza – one quarter of its population – are on the brink of famine.
Cyprus, located some 370 km northwest of Gaza, is the closest European Union member state to the region. It has campaigned for months for the creation of a sustained, one-way sea route carrying aid directly to the enclave.
Under the arrangement, cargo would undergo security inspections on Cyprus, by a team including Israeli officials.
(Picture: REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou)
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