On March 13, Republic of Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr.
Constantinos Kombos hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony J.
Blinken; European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez
Lenarčič; UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Affairs ; UAE Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Qatar Minister of
State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and UN Senior
Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag
for a virtual ministerial to advance planning to open a maritime
corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian
assistance to Gaza by sea. The ministers agreed that there is no
substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and entry points
from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale. The ministers
also agreed that opening Ashdod port to humanitarian assistance
would be a welcome and significant complement to the corridor.
The ministers committed to continue their engagement and send
senior officials to the Republic of Cyprus during the week of
March 18 for in-depth briefings on the further activation of the
corridor, including U.S. military planning efforts to establish a
temporary pier able to receive significant quantities of
humanitarian assistance. Senior officials will also undertake
consultations on the possibility of establishing a common fund to
support the maritime corridor, and coordinate in-kind and
financial contributions to its sustainment.
The ministers reaffirmed that this maritime corridor can — and
must — be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of
humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all
possible routes — including expanded land routes and continued
aerial delivery, working closely with Coordinator Sigrid Kaag —
who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and
verifying the flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council
Resolution 2720. The ministers underscored the need for Israel to
open additional crossings so more aid can reach Gaza, including
the North, and to ease overall customs restrictions to facilitate
an increased flow of life-saving humanitarian assistance.
