The initial vessel transporting a barge loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza has discharged supplies onto the shore.
Departing from Cyprus on Tuesday, the Spanish ship Open Arms carried 200 tonnes of much-needed food destined for Gaza, a region the UN warns is teetering on the edge of famine. Videos circulating online depict a crane transferring crates from the barge to awaiting lorries stationed at a specially constructed jetty.
This operation represents a trial to evaluate the effectiveness of maritime deliveries, following challenges encountered with air and land transports.
World Central Kitchen (WCK), the organization responsible for the food supply, conducted the mission in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facilitating the delivery of rice, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and canned proteins aboard the barge.
Due to the absence of a functional port in Gaza, a jetty extending from the shoreline was constructed by WCK’s team. However, the method of food distribution within Gaza remains uncertain.
José Andrés, the founder of WCK and a renowned chef, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that all the food aid from the barge had been loaded onto 12 lorries.
“We did it!” he exclaimed, expressing the trial’s success and indicating plans for potentially larger aid shipments in the future, reaching “thousands of tons a week.”
Israel released a statement confirming that the Open Arms vessel and its cargo underwent inspection in Cyprus. Additionally, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel were deployed to secure the shoreline.
Throughout the night, teams labored tirelessly to transfer the aid onto dry land. The arrival of this shipment has been eagerly awaited ever since the vessel departed from the port of Larnaca on Tuesday.
Should this maritime endeavor prove successful, it is anticipated that additional aid vessels will join in as part of an international initiative to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza. These ships would utilize a newly established sea route to directly reach the region.
In a separate development, the US is making plans to construct its own floating dock off the coast to enhance sea deliveries. The White House projects that this initiative could result in the delivery of two million meals per day to Gaza. However, as a military ship is currently en route with equipment for dock construction, logistical challenges remain unresolved.
A combination of military operations and societal disruptions has severely impeded aid distribution efforts. Additionally, Gaza’s local food production has suffered significant setbacks, with farms, bakeries, and factories either destroyed or inaccessible.