UK aid has been successfully delivered to the Gaza shore today,
in the first delivery across the US-built temporary pier.
The first of 8,400 shelter coverage kits – temporary shelters
made up of plastic sheeting – have arrived in Gaza, alongside aid
from the US and UAE.
This is the first consignment of UK aid to be delivered through
the Cyprus maritime corridor, following screening in Larnaca
port. More aid, including 2,000 additional coverage kits, 900
tents, five forklift trucks and 9,200 hygiene kits, will follow
in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister said:
UK aid is now being delivered to people through the temporary
pier off Gaza. This is the culmination of a herculean joint
international effort, and I pay tribute to our Armed Forces who
alongside our partners have played a central role delivering this
much needed support.
More aid will follow in the coming weeks, but we know the
maritime route is not the only answer. We need to see more land
routes open, including via the Rafah crossing, to
ensure much more aid gets safely to civilians
in desperate need of help.
Foreign Secretary said:
This first delivery of UK aid through the Cyprus Maritime
Corridor is a major milestone in the international community's
efforts to maximise aid going into Gaza. The UK has played a
central role in this and we're already working on getting our
next shipment into Gaza soon as possible.
But maritime is just one part of the bigger picture. Land routes
remain the most effective means of getting aid into Gaza at the
scale needed. Gazans are at risk of famine and in desperate
need of supplies - Israel must ensure land routes are open and
that aid gets safely to where it is needed.
Defence Secretary said:
The newly operational pier off the coast of Gaza will enable
truckloads of humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in dire
need.
The UK continues to play a key role in this herculean
international effort – supporting logistics coordination in
Cyprus, deploying RFA Cardigan Bay to help US personnel
constructing and operating the pier and providing UK aid for
delivery.
We expect the first shipment to provide enough provisions to feed
11,000 people for a month.
The Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) pier has been built by
the US Navy and Army and was anchored to the shore on 16 May. It
is expected to initially facilitate the delivery of 90 truckloads
of international aid into Gaza each day, reaching up to 150
truckloads once fully operational.
The UK has played a central role in establishing the Cyprus
maritime corridor. It has committed £9.7 million to support the
initiative, contributing 3,600 shelter coverage kits, five
forklift trucks, 900 family tents, 9,200 hygiene kits, and
logistics support in Cyprus. The Ministry of Defence is also
providing accommodation on board RFA Cardigan Bay for US military
personnel constructing the pier.
The UK is clear that the corridor is not a replacement for land
routes, which remain the most effective way of getting aid into
Gaza. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary continue to
call on Israel to meet its commitment to allow at least 500 aid
trucks into Gaza through land crossings and open as many routes
as possible.
