Second ship loaded with Gaza aid from Cyprus

A second ship with food aid to Gaza was being loaded in Cyprus, a charity arranging the mission said on Thursday, as the first ship in a pilot trial of maritime deliveries neared the besieged Palestinian enclave.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) said it was loading a vessel at Larnaca port with 300 tons of food aid - including legumes, canned tuna, vegetables, rice and flour.

"Our pallets should be screened and loaded by the end of the day Cyprus time," WCK said in a statement. It did not say when the vessel would set sail.

Cyprus is screening aid cargos on the island in a process including Israel to eliminate security checks at off-loading destinations, officials say.

A ship towing a barge carrying almost 200 tonnes of food aid for Gaza left Cyprus on Tuesday, charting a new route to deliver emergency supplies to a population, humanitarian agencies say is at risk of starvation after more than five months of war.



Reuters