Advertisement
Israel-Gaza war
WorldEurope

Ship loaded with aid for Gaza ready to set sail from Cyprus

  • Ship belonging to Spanish aid group Open Arms is loaded with 200 tonnes of aid
  • The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been worsening dramatically for weeks

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The Open Arms rescue boat in Cyprus on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
dpa

The Open Arms rescue ship of the eponymous Spanish aid organisation is fully loaded with humanitarian supplies for Gaza and can imminently depart from the Cypriot port of Larnaca, officials said on Sunday.

Advertisement

The 37-metre-long converted tugboat, carrying around 200 tonnes of drinking water, medicines and food, should weigh anchor by Sunday evening at the latest, the island’s government said.

This is a test run along the route of a planned aid corridor announced by European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday.

Von der Leyen had previously inspected the facilities in the port, which the EU island republic has made available for aid deliveries from various countries and organisations.

Larnaca is around 400km away from Gaza and the voyage carries risks, including strong winds that often blow in the eastern Mediterranean.

Advertisement

The Open Arms will pull a platform behind it loaded with the bulk of the relief supplies, according to Cypriot media.

Cyprus will be responsible for the vessel until it leaves Cypriot territorial waters. “After that, the ship will be monitored by satellites and radars of other actors,” a government spokesperson said.
Advertisement