Cyprus prepares for big meeting on Gaza aid corridor

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos met with the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag on Wednesday ahead of the senior officials meeting on the humanitarian sea corridor.

The Cypriot minister also held meetings with the Chief of Staff for the US National Security Council, Curtis Ried and the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimy.

The officials’ common aim is “to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian aid is delivered to the people of Gaza” Kombos wrote on X on Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday morning, the foreign minister will participate at the opening session of the senior officials meeting for the Amalthea plan, the mechanism for securely shipping aid from Cyprus to Gaza via sea. The session will take place at the Zenon Coordination Centre, in Larnaca.

The objective of the meeting is to coordinate on issues related to technical aspects of the Amalthea project to enhance its sustainability, such as the establishment of a Common Fund and other logistical support aspects, said an official statement published by the press and information office.

At least 35 countries, including Cyprus, will participate in the meeting, the statement added. The UN will also be represented through the Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction of Gaza, as well as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations.

Following the activation of the “Amalthea” project, around 200 tonnes of food and aid were distributed to the population in northern Gaza on Tuesday as part of the first maritime mission through the Open Arms ship and the assistance of the World Central Kitchen. A second larger mission with around 500 tonnes of aid is expected as soon as weather conditions allow.

Since the beginning of the current crisis in the Middle East, Cyprus “has worked intensively and methodically to implement the initiative to create a one-way maritime corridor for the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the official statement noted.

Earlier in the day, the leadership of President Nikos Christodoulides towards implementation of the humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza was highlighted in a letter by the US president.

The letter from President Joe Biden was delivered to Christodoulides by US National Security Council Chief of Staff Curtis Ried during a meeting held at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday night.

According to an announcement by the Presidency, “[Biden] among other things, singled out the leadership, vision and determination shown by Christodoulides towards implementation of the extremely important maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Cyprus.”

The letter also referred to the close relations Cyprus has with countries in the region, which were catalytic for the initiative.

Furthermore, Biden expressed his country’s readiness to actively support Cyprus in the “Amalthea” initiative and assures that the US would stand by Cyprus to manage the venture’s complexities.

Additionally, the letter noted that Biden has instructed the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary dock on the coast of Gaza, to facilitate and enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid intended for its civilian population.