UAE and Cyprus launch an initiative to provide relief to Gaza through Amalthea maritime corridor

Guided by humanitarian principles, and fully cognisant of the urgent need to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the Republic of Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates have partnered to deliver life-saving assistance to Palestinian civilians.

In this context, both sides reaffirm their commitment to alleviating the suffering of civilians by continuing to ensure safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian aid through all available and potential routes, including the additional maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza (Amalthea).

The Amalthea Maritime Corridor, activated in March 2024, complements the international community's collective efforts to dispatch aid by land, air and sea.

With the operational cooperation of UNOPS and the World Central Kitchen, and under the UN Security Council Resolution 2720 mechanism, which provides for the facilitation, monitoring and verification of aid flow, the Republic of Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates have shipped 1,200 tonnes of aid, via Ashdod Port, for onward delivery to Gaza. Financing is provided by the UAE through the Amalthea Fund.

The significant humanitarian contribution, which also includes aid by partner countries and international humanitarian organisations, consists primarily of food items, especially baby nutrition and flour that are essential to meeting urgent needs, particularly among the most vulnerable.

Both sides reiterate their shared commitment to working in close coordination with international partners to provide aid at scale, through all available routes and across Gaza, consistent with international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles.

WAM