The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced that this weekend the maritime aid corridor to Gaza may be operational. She has assured this on a visit to Cyprus, from where a ship with aid will set sail, a few days before Ramadan begins.
The corridor is an initiative promoted by the European Commission, with the participation of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, which will go from the port of Larnaca in Cyprus to the Strip. It also has the participation of other Member States, such as Germany, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands. “We are very close to this corridor starting now, we hope this Saturday, Sunday,” announced the president of the community Executive.
Von der Leyen has traveled to Cyprus to inspect all the aid that is going to be sent. He agrees that this shipment, due to the problems in getting all the aid in by land, occurs one day after the United States announced the construction of a temporary port on the Gaza coast so that ships loaded with aid can dock. The initiative from Cyprus had already begun to take shape at the end of last year, when European leaders showed their support at the last summit of Heads of State and Government. In fact, Israel gave its approval to the measure, an essential step due to the blockade of the Strip by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“People in Gaza need all our help, the situation is very serious for innocent Palestinians, and for families and children who urgently require basic needs,” Von der Leyen lamented, while recalling the help offered so far. now by the European Commission. In 2024, Brussels has committed to sending 150 million euros to UNRWA, aid that joins the 125 million euros also in humanitarian aid.
“Sending humanitarian aid directly to Gaza through the sea will be complex,” the main countries that have organized the initiative have admitted in a statement. “This maritime corridor can, and must, be a sustained effort to increase the arrival of aid humanitarian and basic products to Gaza through all possible routes.”
The European Union has organized 41 flights to send 1,800 tons of aid to the Palestinians through Egypt, although due to problems accessing the Strip by land, the maritime corridor is now being joined. In total for this year, the Commission has committed to aid of 250 million euros for the Palestinian population. “We are currently facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza (…) now the main challenge is to ensure that aid reaches the population in Gaza,” Von der Leyen insisted.
