EU Commission chief hopes aid route from Cyprus to Gaza opens Sunday
The Hindu
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed hopes that a humanitarian aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza will open this weekend.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed hopes Friday that a humanitarian aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza will open this weekend, amid fears of famine in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
"We are very close to opening this corridor, hopefully this Sunday," Ms. von der Leyen said following a visit to the Cypriot port of Larnaca with Cyprus's President Nikos Christodoulides.
Her announcement came after U.S. President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union address on Thursday, said the U.S. military would establish a temporary port off Gaza's coast to bring in aid.
Senior U.S. administration officials said the effort announced by Biden builds upon the maritime aid corridor proposed by Cyprus — the closest European Union member to Gaza.
Ms. Von der Leyen described the situation in Gaza as "dire... and we face a humanitarian catastrophe".
She said "an initial pilot operation" would be launched on Friday, and the United Arab Emirates had helped activate the corridor "by securing the first of many shipments of goods to the people of Gaza".
The European Commission issued a joint statement with Cyprus, the UAE, United States and United Kingdom "endorsing the activation" of the maritime aid corridor to Gaza.
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