UAE, Cyprus Presidents discuss Gaza humanitarian crisis; maritime corridor initiative for aid delivery

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke by telephone today with His Excellency Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and to review the latest developments in the region, particularly the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The call addressed the initiative recently announced by the UAE, Cyprus, the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States regarding the activation of a maritime corridor to deliver urgently needed aid to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The plan builds on the Amalthea Initiative recently announced by Cyprus, which outlines a mechanism for securely transporting aid by sea from Cyprus to Gaza and forms a fundamental part of these latest joint efforts to establish a maritime aid delivery corridor. The participating nations will work in collaboration with Sigrid Kaag, the Senior United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, who oversees facilitating, coordinating, and verifying the aid flow into Gaza.

His Highness the President stressed the critical need for the immediate establishment of direct humanitarian corridors – by land, sea, and air – to ensure the seamless delivery of aid to Gaza. He underscored the paramount importance of putting in place protective measures for these corridors and enabling humanitarian organisations to effectively carry out their work, thereby preventing any further increase in the suffering of Gaza's residents.

His Highness also highlighted the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts in support of a comprehensive, fair peace process aimed at ensuring stability in the region based on the two-state solution, noting that the UAE supports all efforts and initiatives towards this outcome.