Cyprus-Gaza maritime aid corridor to open this weekend, with EU and US support
The European Union is backing a long-awaited maritime corridor allowing aid to be shipped from Cyprus to the coast of Gaza, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen confirmed during a visit to the port of Larnaca on Friday.
Transcript
00:00 This Friday marks the first test of the new maritime corridor between Cyprus and the Gaza
00:06 Strip. In Nicosia, at a joint press conference with the Cypriot president, President of the
00:12 European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said a ship loaded with humanitarian aid will be
00:16 dispatched this Friday. It`s a joint effort between the European Union, the U.S. and other
00:22 partner countries.
00:26 And today we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. And we stand by the innocent civilians
00:33 in Palestine. But the key challenge is to get the aid to the people on the ground in
00:41 Gaza. And we know the difficulties faced at the land borders in Gaza, be it through the
00:46 rougher border crossing or through the Jordan Road corridor.
00:54 It is becoming increasingly difficult to get humanitarian aid overland to the Gaza Strip.
00:59 In recent days, it has been sent by air using parachutes.
01:07 Deaths from malnutrition are increasing according to the Hamas-linked Palestinian Ministry of
01:11 Health. In a hospital in Rafah, 16 babies have died over the past 30 days, according
01:18 to the deputy head of the neonatal intensive care unit. Most had been discharged, but ended
01:23 up returning underweight and ill.
01:25 (upbeat music)
01:28 [SWOOSH]