Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms its support for the humanitarian aid missions of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the recent delivery of 106 tons of humanitarian aid, which were sent from the port of Limassol, in Cyprus, to the port of Ashdod, for distribution in the Gaza Strip.

“Honored to partner up with WHO in delivering emergency nutrition supplies for Gaza under UN2720. Cyprus reaffirms its commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and assisting those most in need” MFA said in a post on X, quoting an earlier post by WHO Regional Director, Hans Kluge, who announced the delivery of the cargo Thursday morning.

In his post Kluge said that around 106 metric tons of supplies were mobilized from Limassol to Ashdod Port and are now in Gaza for distribution.

''This shipment marks an important step in strengthening WHO's ability to move humanitarian supplies across regions to support people affected by the conflict. I thank the Government of Cyprus and all partners involved for their close coordination and shared commitment, and WHO in occupied Palestinian territory  for its support in making this possible'', Kluge's post said.

The supplies were mobilized in the framework of the Amalthea humanitarian corridor.

On Wednesday, WHO/Europe said that through its Humanitarian Bridge Initiative in Cyprus, it facilitated the delivery of its first shipment of emergency humanitarian nutrition supplies to Gaza. "The initiative was implemented in close coordination between WHO offices in Cyprus and the occupied Palestinian territories, with strong support from the Government of Cyprus, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense" it is added.

"The consignment has safely arrived at Ashdod Port, Israel, and is currently being prepared for onward distribution to Gaza in support of WHO’s emergency response operations" WHO says.

It is further noted that this shipment "marks a significant operational milestone in strengthening WHO’s interregional humanitarian logistics capacity for a region affected by the ongoing conflict, particularly in Gaza."

"The mechanism further reinforces Cyprus’s role as a strategic humanitarian logistics staging point, leveraging its geographic proximity, approximately 370 kilometers from Gaza, and its position within the European Union single market to facilitate the rapid mobilization and dispatch of critical supplies" the announcement adds.

Source: CNA