By Blessing Chinagorom
The United Kingdom Government has announced the lifting of naearly 100 tonnes of aid comprising 8,400 shelter coverage kits, temporary shelters made up of plastic sheeting from Cyprus to Gaza.
According to the statement released by the Government on Wednesday stating that the aid will be part of the first delivery to the temporary pier on the Gaza coast and will be distributed within the country as soon as feasible.
Adding that this pier, which has been built by the United States Navy and Army, will initially facilitate the delivery of an estimated ninety truckloads of international aid into Gaza each day, and scale to up to 150 truckloads a day once fully operational.
In his reaction, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said the United Kingdom has been working around the clock with its allies and partners to ensure more aid gets into Gaza via all possible routes – land, air and sea.
According to him, “We are leading international efforts with the US and Cyprus to establish a maritime aid corridor. Today’s first shipment of British aid from Cyprus to the temporary pier off Gaza is an important moment in increasing this flow.
“But we know that more is required, particularly via land, which is why alongside intensive work to get hostages out of Gaza we will continue efforts to unlock more routes to get vital aid in – helping people in desperate need”, the PM added.
Also, Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron said, it’s essential that vital aid get to the people of Gaza by all possible routes, adding that the UK is working with the US, Cyprus and other allies and partners to do just and that he is proud that the UK will be part of the first delivery of aid to the new pier.
He said further that this pier will play a vital role in getting aid to those who need it in Gaza, saying it must be accompanied by an increase in aid delivered through land routes. “Israel’s commitments to increase access are welcome but we need to see more aid making it over the borders.
“And further action – fully opening Ashdod port for aid deliveries; more land crossings, open for longer; and better deconfliction measures. Only with these in place can we alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”, the Foreign Secretary administered.
The UK has been central to the international effort to establish a maritime aid corridor. It is committing £9.7 million to provide aid, including the initial 8,400 coverage kits, as well as five forklift trucks.
900 family tents, a further 2,000 coverage kits, 9,200 hygiene kits, and help with coordinating logistics in Cyprus. The Ministry of Defence is also providing accommodation on board RFA Cardigan Bay for US military personnel constructing the pier.
The opening of the maritime corridor is not a replacement for aid being delivered through land routes, which remain the quickest and most effective way of getting much-needed aid into Gaza.
UK urged Israel to meet its commitment to allow at least 500 aid trucks to cross into Gaza through land crossings and open as many routes as possible, including Ashdod. “As fully functioning port, Ashdod’s capacity to receive aid is much larger than will ever be feasible through the maritime pier”.
Also, the UK is doing everything possible to get more aid into Gaza by land and air. “We trebled our humanitarian funding to the Occupied Palestinian Territories last financial year, delivering more than £100 million of vital medical, shelter, nutrition and water/sanitation support”.
To date the British Royal Air Force has airdropped more than 100 tonnes of life-saving aid, including ready-to-eat meals, water, rice and flour directly into Gaza.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage.
More than 35,090 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
