THE World Central Kitchen today delivered almost 200 tons of food to northern Gaza, a cargo that arrived with the first sea aid shipment from Cyprus, according to an announcement by the NGO.

Food has reached families on the brink of starvation in the first humanitarian shipment to land in Gaza in nearly two decades. Together with local and international partners, WCK has delivered more than 39 million meals by land, sea and air to Palestinians in need.

“Today’s delivery of rice, flour, pulses, vegetables and protein to families in the north, where access to aid is very limited, proves that the food they (residents) desperately need can be delivered by sea. In addition to the food that arrived on the Open Arms vessel, today’s northbound convoy also carried ready meals,” it said.

It is added that for months WCK teams have been working non-stop to open this sea aid route to Gaza and have been supplying and loading food onto boats in Cyprus.

They also reportedly built their own wharf in Gaza, using rubble from bombed buildings to safely unload cargo.

“WCK will eventually be able to provide large quantities of food daily to the shores of Gaza,” said Jose Andres, founder of WCK. He adds that the NGO teams are currently preparing to send the second sea shipment, which will include food and heavy machinery that will speed up the unloading process.

It added that so far the NGO has dispatched more than 1,500 trucks but many more are needed to meet the urgent needs of communities across Gaza.

Preparations for departure of second ship from Larnaca to Gaza, Nicosia reports

A second ship to send humanitarian aid to Gaza is ready according to the protocols that have been agreed upon, said the representative of the Republic of Cyprus, noting that for its departure there are parameters that must be taken into account, “even the weather conditions, the which should be favorable”.

After the cabinet meeting, Mr Konstantinos Letympiotis said the ship is expected to depart within the next few days. He also noted the meeting that will take place in Cyprus the day after tomorrow, March 21, with representatives from 40 states, for the necessary coordination that is required to enable aid to reach the civilian population of Gaza “and to intensify and increase its flow, but also to ensure the continuous flow”.

It will be done at the level of technocrats, he clarified, and will concern the exchange of views regarding the logistical support that each state can contribute to this effort. The sizes of humanitarian aid needed by the civilian population in Gauze it is such that the contribution of many states is needed, the government spokesman said. “No state can cope on its own, let alone Cyprus,” he pointed out.