President outlines Gaza aid plan to UN Chief

President Nikos Christodoulides has presented Cyprus’s proposal for establishing a humanitarian corridor to Gaza to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Christodoulides will review the proposal during a phone call with Guterres on Tuesday.

As reported by Phileleftheros daily, the two-page letter was sent to Guterres a week ago, laying out Cyprus’ initiative to transfer humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime corridor.

“The advantages of this corridor, which complements the Rafah crossing, centre on Cyprus’ proximity to Gaza, its operational critical infrastructure and logistical capacity, as well as its recognised credibility with all stakeholders, including Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” reads the letter.

According to the report, Christodoulides told Guterres that the initiative would help “By decompressing existing and potential humanitarian bottlenecks in a very short period.”

“The involvement of various UN agencies in the successful operation of the initiative is imperative – OCHA, UNODC and UNRWA have a role to play in facilitating coordination, control and monitoring,” said the President.

Despite gaining widespread support in Europe, Cyprus’ proposal for a maritime humanitarian corridor faces practical challenges related to the port situation in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The absence of a sizable port in Gaza has led to considerations of alternative solutions, such as constructing a temporary floating structure at sea.

President Christodoulides presented the “Amaltheia initiative” last week in Paris.

The initiative aims to directly transfer aid by sea to Gaza, addressing needs not adequately covered through existing channels.

The proposal involves five stages, including aid transfer in Cyprus, inspection and inventory, vessel loading, sea transfer with a warship escort, and aid reception in Gaza with the involvement of international organisations and the Palestinian Authority.