UAE Foreign Minister participates in virtual ministerial on Gaza maritime aid corridor

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in a virtual ministerial to advance planning to open a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea.

The meeting was hosted on March 13 by the Republic of Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Constantinos Kombos, and included US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič; UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron; Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag.

The meeting convened after the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, UAE, UK, and US issued a joint statement on March 8th endorsing the activation of a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

The meeting discussed ways to support this humanitarian initiative and accelerate the work of the maritime corridor to provide the necessary humanitarian response to civilians in Gaza. It also addressed the mechanisms of cooperation between the countries participating in the initiative and UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, in a way that contributes to facilitating, coordinating and verifying the flow of aid reaching Gaza under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720.

The UAE Top Diplomat said that the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip entails the adoption of a multilateral international cooperative approach to mitigate its impact on civilians in the Gaza Strip, and to strive diligently to open humanitarian corridors to transport humanitarian aid at a sufficient, sustainable and unimpeded pace.

The meeting convened after the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, UAE, UK, and US.

He pointed out the importance of building on the "Amalthea" initiative, which was recently announced by Cyprus and which defines a mechanism for safely shipping aid from Cyprus to Gaza by sea.

He added that the initiative is an essential part of promoting the joint efforts to launch this maritime corridor, stressing the UAE's firm commitment to mobilising international support for the maritime corridor initiative, as well as cooperating with its partners in the international community to enhance the humanitarian response provided to civilians in Gaza.

He thanked the Ministers and officials participating in the meeting, praising their keenness to cooperate and work together to provide the necessary humanitarian support to the civilians in the Gaza Strip in a way that contributes to alleviating their suffering.

WAM