Cyprus gathers 35 nations to shape future of 'Amalthea' initiative

Cyprus is hosting a Senior Officials Meeting with the participation of officials from 35 countries and representatives of international organisations on Thursday in order to define the next steps for the ''Amalthea'' initiative.

The meeting will take place at the Zenon Coordination Center in Larnaca, in which the partners directly involved, as well as other interested parties, will participate, a Foreign Affairs Ministry press release said on Wednesday.

“The aim of the meeting is to coordinate on matters concerning technical aspects of the Amalthea Plan to enhance its viability, such as the establishment of a joint fund and other logistical support aspects”, it added.

In total, 35 countries, including Cyprus, will participate in the meeting. The UN will also be represented through the 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 meeting will also be attended by the EU through the Director General of DG ECHO, representatives of USAID, as well as by representatives of the World Central Kitchen and FOGBOW.

The activation of the “Amalthea” Project, led to the first maritime delivery of aid to Gaza through the ship Open Arms and the contribution of World Central Kitchen, while a second delivery was to follow “in the immediate future”.

Cyprus, since the beginning of the current crisis in the Middle East “worked intensively and methodically” to implement the initiative for the creation of a one-way maritime corridor, for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. “An initiative which is based on geographical proximity, on the excellent level of relations with all parties directly involved, as well as on international humanitarian law”, it noted.