Italy donates equipment for Amalthea initiative

The Italian government on Tuesday donated radio diagnostic equipment to the Cyprus customs department to be used for inspections as part of the Amalthea humanitarian corridor, through which aid has been sent to Gaza.

During the handover ceremony at Larnaca port, foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said the donation falls under the umbrella of the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).

Gotsis stressed the significance of Italy’s contribution to Cyprus’ efforts in implementing the Amalthea initiative, highlighting the ongoing need for support from regional and EU partners.

Echoing Gotsis, the director of the customs department Theodora Demetriou called the donation “significant for both Cyprus and Italy”.

She expressed gratitude for Italy’s swift response to the requirements of the humanitarian corridor, noting that customs cooperation greatly facilitates the speedy delivery of aid to Gaza.

Demetriou also thanked the Italian customs for their vital contribution, “which has been instrumental in the execution of the Amalthea initiative.

“Aid shipments depart weekly for Gaza by sea, with each vessel taking approximately two days to load. Initial issues were quickly resolved, and Cyprus now expects a substantial shipment to be distributed to various ships heading to Gaza,” Demetriou said.

However, on Monday UN World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said there is now no humanitarian aid from Cyprus left in the secure area on the beach in Gaza where the temporary jetty was once anchored.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Etefa said that while the WFP’s operations relating to the jetty remain suspended, an “exceptional one-off operation” was carried out in the last few days to remove the remaining aid shipped from Larnaca airport on the beach.

“The supplies were cleared from the beach and there is nothing new coming in. It was all cleared out, and has now gone for distribution,” she said.

The WFP had paused its distribution of humanitarian aid from the jetty, which was constructed to facilitate the delivery of aid sent via Cyprus, four weeks ago, with its executive director Cindy McCain saying she was “concerned about the safety of our people” following an Israeli military operation in the area which reportedly killed over 200 Palestinians.