First UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt
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The first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza has arrived in Egypt, carrying almost 90 tonnes of thermal blankets and other essential items.
The shipment was delivered from Cyprus by Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay, carrying thermal blankets, shelter packs and medical supplies provided by the UK and the Republic of Cyprus.
From Port Said, the aid will be received by the Egyptian Red Crescent and will make its way to Al Arish and then through Rafah and into Gaza for distribution by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
It comes after Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron visited Al Arish last month to meet representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, who are coordinating the relief effort at the Rafah crossing, and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps visited Cyprus and Israel on December 7 to push for accelerated aid deliveries into Gaza.
Significantly more aid needs to reach Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people
The UK will continue to explore other routes for aid deliveries, including the Cypriot initiative for a maritime corridor between Cyprus and Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories and supporting United Nations World Food Programme through the humanitarian land corridor from Jordan through Kerem Shalom, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.
Lord Cameron said: “The UK is committed to supporting the people of Gaza.
“We have already trebled our aid commitment to Palestinians this year and today’s aid delivery – the first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza – via Port Said in Egypt contains almost 90 tonnes of vital supplies.
“Significantly more aid needs to reach Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
“The UK will continue to work with our partners in the region to open more aid routes into Gaza, including through the proposed maritime corridor between Cyprus and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
Mr Shapps said: “I recently visited the region to find the best way to get aid into Gaza and support those in desperate need. Today’s maritime aid delivery, the first of its kind, is a significant milestone.
“RFA Lyme Bay has docked in Egypt with almost 90 tonnes of aid bound for civilians in Gaza.
“This includes shelters for winter, medical supplies and thermal blankets – all pre-screened in Cyprus. By testing new maritime routes, the UK is paving the way for other international donors to increase and accelerate aid deliveries.”
The UK has so far announced it will spend almost £60 million in additional humanitarian funding in Gaza this financial year, trebling the existing annual budget to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).
The most recent package of £30 million funding, announced by the Foreign Secretary on his last visit to the region, has been allocated to partners on the ground including UNRWA, Unicef, WFP, the OCHA Pooled Fund and the British Red Cross to support the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies.
