Apostolos Tomaras
Everything is set for the departure of the Open Arms ship, which will transport the first batch of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians through the Amalthea project. As reported by "K," the Spanish-flagged ship, chartered by the non-governmental organization World Central Kitchen, is expected to drop anchor in the afternoon at the latest this evening, provided that certain procedures, such as final approval from Israel, are settled. At the port of Larnaca, the same sources say everything is ready. The 200-tonne humanitarian aid, loaded onto the ship, has been checked for military material and sealed. The humanitarian aid cargo, including food, water, and essentials, is expected to reach its destination on Monday or Tuesday. Initially, reports suggested that the Open Arms was due to dock at an Egyptian port located 200 kilometers from Gaza. More recent information does not rule out the possibility that the ship may call at the Gaza coast, even without the infrastructure needed to dock. It will also carry a platform on which aid will be unloaded.
3 weeks ago, the #OpenArms ship, in collaboration with @WCK, docked in Cyprus for a joint mission. What initially appeared as an insurmountable challenge is now on the verge of realization.
— Open Arms ENG (@openarms_found) March 8, 2024
The endeavor to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor in #Gaza is making progress,… pic.twitter.com/njaOxGZtnn
WCK’s John is in Larnaca, Cyprus where our team is working alongside @openarms_fund, United Arab Emirates & Cyprus to send food aid by sea to Gaza. The maritime aid corridor will immediately allow us to scale our efforts & reach more families in northern Gaza.#ChefsForThePeople pic.twitter.com/3jq1KoGilE
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 9, 2024
And a new cargo
If and when everything goes according to plan, a second ship is expected to arrive at the port of Larnaca tomorrow, Monday, carrying a new cargo of humanitarian aid. This ship, too, has been chartered by the NGO World Central Kitchen, which has collected the aid. Also in the coming days, aid from other countries will arrive in Cyprus, which will be transported by flights. In the transportation part, as sources told "K," it is not excluded that the US Navy or other countries providing transport ships will also be involved.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
