UK aid reaches Gaza via Cyprus maritime corridor

Aid from the UK reached Gaza through the Cyprus maritime corridor, British Foreign Secretary said in on post on X on Friday.

“This is a major step forward,” Cameron said. “The floating pier will mean we can deliver up to 150 trucks of additional aid a day.”

The first shipment included 8,400 shelter coverage kits, consisting of temporary shelters made from plastic sheeting, alongside aid from the US and the United Arab Emirates.

This marks the initial consignment of UK aid delivered through the Cyprus maritime corridor following screening at Larnaca port.

Additional aid, including 2,000 more coverage kits, 900 tents, 5 forklift trucks, and 9,200 hygiene kits, will follow in the coming weeks, a statement released by the UK foreign office said.

Cameron stressed the importance of this delivery, saying the UK government “needs to see more aid reach Gaza through land, sea, and air routes.”

“While the maritime route is crucial, land routes remain the most effective means of delivering aid on a large scale,” he said.

“Gazans are at risk of famine and in desperate need of supplies. Israel must ensure land routes are open and that aid gets safely to where it is needed.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also acknowledged the delivery, calling it “the culmination of a herculean joint international effort.”

“I pay tribute to our armed forces who alongside our partners have played a central role in delivering this much-needed support,” Sunak said, stressing the need for more land routes to be opened, including via the Rafah crossing.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps also commented on the US floating jetty’s operational status, adding that it will enable significant amounts of humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in need.

The UK’s role includes logistics coordination in Cyprus, deploying RFA Cardigan Bay to assist US personnel in constructing and operating the pier, and providing aid for delivery.

The UK has committed €11.3 million to support this initiative, contributing thousands of shelter kits, tents, hygiene kits, and logistic support in Cyprus.

European Commission chief spokesman Eric Mamer explained that “the jetty was completed yesterday, so, as you can see, we are wasting no time making use of it.”

At the same time, the EU has established a coordination hub in Cyprus to manage the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the EU’s Emergency Response Coordinaton Centre coordinating member states and partner countries to promote the provision of more aid via the corridor.