LOC15:44
12:44 GMT
DOHA, March 14 (KUNA) -- A virtual multinational ministerial meeting on Thursday stressed that a purposed maritime humanitarian corridor to aid the Gaza Strip should not be a substitute for land routes.
The meeting for initiative of the "Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza" was hosted by Cyprus with the US, the UK, the UAE, the EU, the UN Senior, and Qatar participating.
During the meeting, officials discussed the urgent needs for delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, along with the contributions of the countries involved in the initiative and strategies to address logistical challenges.
A joint statement issued by the governments of the participating countries affirmed the ministers' agreement that there was no substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and other crossings to Gaza for the widespread delivery of aid.
It described that the opening of the Ashdod Port to humanitarian aid as a welcomed and important complement to the maritime corridor.
The ministers committed to continuing discussions on this matter, with senior officials scheduled to visit Cyprus next week to receive detailed briefings on the continued activation of the corridor, including consultations on the possibility of establishing a joint fund to support the maritime corridor and coordinating material and financial contributions to ensure its sustainability.
The ministers reiterated that this maritime corridor should be part of ongoing efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods to Gaza through all possible means.
This includes expanded land routes and continuous airlift operations, through close collaboration with the UN tasked with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the flow of aid to Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2,720.
The ministers emphasized the necessity for Israel to open additional crossings to allow more aid into Gaza, including in the northern part of the Strip, and to ease comprehensive customs restrictions to facilitate the increasing flow of life-saving humanitarian aid. (end)
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