First aid ship to Gaza leaves Cyprus port in pilot project
(VOVWORLD) - A ship transporting almost 200 tons of food to Gaza left a port in Cyprus early on Tuesday in a pilot project to open a new sea route for aid to a population on the brink of famine.
 Aid ship Open Arms (Photo: EPA) |
The charity ship Open Arms sailed out of Larnaca port in Cyprus, towing a barge containing flour, rice and protein.
The 200-mile (320 km) voyage across the eastern Mediterranean to Gaza with a heavy tow barge could take up to 2 days, Cypriot officials have said.
The mission, funded mostly by the United Arab Emirates, is organized by U.S. based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), while Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms supplied the ship.
WCK says it has a further 500 tons of aid in Cyprus ready for dispatch.