The first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza has arrived in
Egypt, carrying almost 90 tonnes of thermal blankets and other
essential items.
The lifesaving shipment was delivered from Cyprus by Royal Fleet
Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay, carrying thermal blankets, shelter packs
and medical supplies provided by the UK and the Republic of
Cyprus. From Port Said, the aid will be received by the Egyptian
Red Crescent and will make its way to Al Arish and then through
Rafah and into Gaza for distribution by UNRWA.
It follows a visit to Egypt from the
Foreign Secretary to Al Arish last month (21 December)
to meet with representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent
Society, who are coordinating the relief effort at the Rafah
crossing, and the Defence Secretary’s visit
to Cyprus and Israel on 7 December to push for
accelerated aid deliveries into Gaza.
The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary have made clear that
Israel must increase the flow of aid into Gaza and facilitate the
delivery of relief on the ground, including through negotiated
humanitarian pauses. The UK will continue to explore other routes
for aid deliveries, including the Cypriot initiative for a
maritime corridor between Cyprus and Israel/OPTs and
supporting United Nations World Food Programme through the
humanitarian land corridor from Jordan through Kerem Shalom.
Foreign Secretary said:
The UK is committed to supporting the people of Gaza. We have
already trebled our aid commitment to Palestinians this year and
today’s aid delivery – the first UK maritime shipment of aid for
Gaza – via Port Said in Egypt contains almost 90 tonnes of vital
supplies.
Significantly more aid needs to reach Gaza to alleviate the
suffering of the Palestinian people. The UK will continue to work
with our partners in the region to open more aid routes into
Gaza, including through the proposed maritime corridor between
Cyprus and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Defence Secretary said:
I recently visited the region to find the best way to get aid
into Gaza and support those in desperate need. Today’s maritime
aid delivery, the first of its kind, is a significant milestone.
RFA Lyme Bay has docked in Egypt with almost 90 tonnes of aid
bound for civilians in Gaza. This includes shelters for winter,
medical supplies and thermal blankets – all pre-screened in
Cyprus. By testing new maritime routes, the UK is paving the way
for other international donors to increase and accelerate aid
deliveries.
The UK has so far announced it will spend almost £60 million in
additional humanitarian funding in Gaza this financial year,
trebling our existing annual budget to the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). The most
recent package of £30 million funding,
announced by the Foreign Secretary on his last visit to the
region, has been allocated to trusted partners on the ground
including UNRWA, UNICEF, WFP,
the OCHA Pooled
Fund and the British Red Cross to support the Egyptian and
Palestinian Red Crescent Societies.
