UN agencies, 36 countries mull aid to Gaza

21/3/2024 18:24

        Officials from 36 countries and U.N. agencies gathered in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss how to expedite aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza via a sea route launched last week.
        
        Thursday's gathering is being attended by Sigrid Kaag, the U.N.'s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council.
        
        As famine looms over Gaza, agencies are increasingly looking for alternative routes to get aid into the enclave other than land crossings. But lack of infrastructure is an issue; one charity which dispatched aid from Cyprus last week made a landing jetty out of rubble, while the U.S. has also announced plans to create a floating pier.
        
        Under an agreement hammered out with Israel, cargoes can undergo security inspections in Cyprus by a team including Israel, eliminating the need for screenings at its final offloading point to remove potential hold-ups in aid deliveries.
        
        One vessel left Cyprus last week and distributed aid in Gaza, while another two are expected to depart in coming days, subject to weather conditions.