When Curtis Ried first arrived in Cyprus towards the end of last January and was discussing with government officials about humanitarian aid to Gaza, his presence here went almost unnoticed.
However, that visit was crucial for subsequent decisions taken by the American government to implement the humanitarian corridor for aid transportation from Larnaca to Gaza.
The Chief of Staff and Counselor of the White House National Security Council is back in Cyprus to attend the global gathering of experts scheduled for tomorrow.
The primary objective of the delegations from about 50 countries is to coordinate for the best possible transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The presence of so many delegations highlights the importance of the role Cyprus can play in the region.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Kombos will have a series of meetings today with foreign officials on the island for tomorrow’s conference. In the morning, he will meet with Curtis Ried.
Also, today he will meet with the Deputy Minister of International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, and the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.
During the last session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, the Foreign Minister stated that the effort to send humanitarian aid through the maritime corridor will continue in close cooperation with other states and international actors.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcement, during the discussion on the Middle East, the Foreign Minister reiterated Cyprus’s deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and informed his counterparts about the developments regarding the maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to Gaza and the first shipment of humanitarian aid.
Through close cooperation with other states and international actors, the effort will continue, the Foreign Minister emphasized according to the announcement.
The government spokesperson stated yesterday that the second ship for the humanitarian aid mission to Gaza is ready, according to the agreed protocols, noting that there are parameters to be taken into account for its departure, “even the weather conditions, which should be favourable.”
After the Ministerial Council session, Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that the ship is expected to depart within the next few days.
He also noted the meeting to be held in Cyprus tomorrow, March 21, with representatives from dozens of countries for the necessary coordination required to ensure that aid reaches the civilian population in Gaza “and to intensify and increase its flow, as well as to ensure its continuous flow.”
It will be at the level of technocrats, he clarified and will involve the exchange of views on the technical support that each state can provide in this effort.
The scale of humanitarian aid needed by the civilian population in Gaza requires the contribution of many states, said the Government Spokesperson.
“No state alone can cope, let alone Cyprus,” he emphasised.
Responding to a question, he said that some of these 40 states have signed the relevant declaration, and welcomed the start of this initiative, but also “many other states that intend to participate in this initiative.”
He also noted that during the President’s stay in Egypt for the summit with the EU, the Prime Minister of Belgium sought a meeting with President Christodoulides and conveyed Belgium’s intention to participate in “Amalthea.”
Meanwhile, World Central Kitchen delivered nearly 200 tons of food on Tuesday to communities in northern Gaza that arrived with the first maritime aid shipment from Cyprus, according to an NGO announcement.
It is noted that the food, which reached families at risk of hunger, arrived with the first humanitarian cargo that approached the coast of Gaza in almost two decades.
