UAE envoy says aid to Gaza will be scaled up, Cyprus is key route
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Aid donated by the UAE for the people of Gaza is stored in a warehouse at the port of Limassol, Cyprus on Nov 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LIMASSOL, Cyprus - The United Arab Emirates is preparing to increase aid deliveries into Gaza, an envoy said on Nov 7, saying a sea corridor from Cyprus was essential alongside land and air access.
Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh said a maritime route channelling pre-screened aid from the East Mediterranean island was a vital lifeline to the people of Gaza.
The UAE has partnered with Cyprus in supplying large quantities of aid to the Palestinian enclave, devastated by a two-year war.
“Maintaining multiple entry points into Gaza remains incredibly important,” Ms Nusseibeh said after an inspection of aid accumulating at the port of Limassol in Cyprus.
“As this plan moves forward, access to Gaza by land, air and sea is going to remain critical,” she told reporters.
Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed a month ago to a first phase of a plan presented by US President Donald Trump.
It paused a devastating two-year war in Gaza triggered by a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Oct 7, 2023, and secured a deal to release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Despite the ceasefire, far too little aid was reaching Gaza, humanitarian agencies said on Nov 4.
Some 22,000 tonnes of pre-screened aid has been dispatched from Cyprus under the so-called Amalthea Initiative launched in 2024.
Some of it reached Gaza directly via a short-lived temporary pier set up by the US in 2024, while other shipments have been dispatched to the port of Ashdod in Israel. REUTERS
