Relief for aid-stricken Palestinians in the Gaza strip could reach about 1,500 tonnes a week once a U.S.-built jetty is operational, with international donors coming forward to finance the infrastructure, including a million donation from the United Arab Emirates to the Amaltheia Fund.
Cyprus is deeply concerned about the increasing arrival of Syrian migrants, with five boats carrying 400 individuals arriving in the last 24 hours. President Nikos Christodoulides expressed discontent with Lebanese authorities for exporting migrants to Cyprus. The EU is urged to support Cyprus in addressing the migration issue. The government is implementing measures to tackle the influx, but the strain on resources is unsustainable. The majority of migrants arriving are from Syria, with a record number of arrivals in the first three months of 2024.
The Cypriot ‘Amalthia’ initiative aims to establish a maritime humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza, with a meeting attended by officials from 36 countries and international organizations discussing this effort. The initiative has received approximately EUR 80 million in pledges and has already dispatched one shipment from Larnaca port. U.S. army engineers plan to build a jetty in Gaza for receiving aid cargoes. Curtis Ried, Chief of Staff for the U.S. National Security Council, commended Cyprus for leveraging its strategic position for humanitarian purposes. The meeting focused on addressing the food crisis in Gaza amid ongoing conflict. The United States and other participants committed to addressing material and financial gaps, with plans for continued dialogue and collaboration. A secretariat is to be established in Cyprus to coordinate donor efforts effectively. The European Union is expected to contribute EUR 70 million, with the Netherlands pledging EUR 10 million. World Central Kitchen has shipped and distributed around 200 tonnes of food and aid to northern Gaza, with plans for more shipments. Preparations for a second vessel, the ‘Jennifer’, carrying about 500 tonnes of aid, are underway. U.S. troops are set to build a temporary port off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of supplies, with the mission expected to arrive around April 15. The temporary pier, part of a U.S. commitment to aid Gaza, will enable the transfer of humanitarian aid from larger to smaller ships for onshore distribution and is expected to be operational within sixty days, capable of offloading up to two million meals or bottles of water daily. Israel will assist in anchoring the pier, and security plans for the temporary port have been established.