UAE announces departure of second maritime aid shipment for Gaza

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Three ships and a barge have set sail from Cyprus carrying hundreds of tonnes of food destined for northern Gaza.
This second shipment, which carries hundreds of tonnes, has enough food to prepare more than one million meals, and includes ready-to-eat items such as rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables and proteins.
The historic opening of the maritime route to Gaza is conducted by World Central Kitchen and Open Arms, in close partnership with the United Arab Emirates and the support of Cyprus.
By opening the maritime aid corridor with Open Arms and Cyprus, the UAE and World Central Kitchen are able to scale up humanitarian efforts in Gaza, Wam reported.
To date, World Central Kitchen has provided more than 43 million meals to Palestinians facing starvation.
The UAE has delivered 26,000 tonnes of urgent supplies, including food, water, and medical items, sent through 229 flights, 19 airdrops, 1,035 lorries, and three ships.
While this initiative is getting desperately needed food to the Palestinians, the opening of land crossings remains paramount to avert famine.