Three ships and a barge finally set sail from Cyprus today following better weather conditions, carrying hundreds of tonnes of food destined for northern Gaza.

This second shipment, which carries hundreds of tonnes, has enough food to prepare more than one million meals, and includes self stable and ready-to-eat items such as rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins.

The historic opening of the maritime route to Gaza by sea is conducted by World Central Kitchen and Open Arms, in close partnership with the United Arab Emirates, and the support of Cyprus.

By opening this maritime aid corridor with Open Arms and Cyprus, the UAE and World Central Kitchen are able to scale humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

To date, World Central Kitchen has provided more than 43 million meals by land, air, and sea to Palestinians facing starvation.

The UAE has delivered 26,000 tonnes of urgent supplies, including food, water, and medical items, dispatched through 229 flights, 19 airdrops, 1,035 trucks, and three ships.

While this initiative is getting desperately needed food to the Palestinians, the opening of land crossings remains paramount to avert famine.

WAM