LONDON: British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Sunday warned the “prospect of famine is real” in the besieged Gaza Strip, as a Royal Navy ship headed to the Mediterranean to help set up a maritime aid corridor.
Cameron’s remarks come as a Royal Navy ship is dispatched to the Mediterranean to assist in establishing a maritime aid corridor aimed at delivering essential supplies to Gaza.
In his statement on Sunday, Cameron emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the “prospect of famine is real” in Gaza. He outlined Britain’s collaboration with the United States, Cyprus, and other partners to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the rapid and secure delivery of aid.
Despite recent tragic events, including the killing of seven aid workers in an Israeli strike, efforts to establish the humanitarian corridor continue. The workers, including three Britons from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity, lost their lives while unloading aid delivered by ship.
In response to the crisis, the UK has pledged £9.7 million for aid, equipment, and expertise to support the maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza. The initiative has already seen success, with a vessel organized by Spanish charity Open Arms and WCK successfully delivering its cargo to Gaza on March 15. Another vessel departed Cyprus on March 30, with preparations underway for a third voyage.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed coordination efforts with the United States to build a port in Gaza, facilitating aid deliveries. However, aid groups have raised concerns about the limitations of airdrops and maritime shipments, stressing the importance of restoring overland aid deliveries to Gaza, which have significantly decreased since the outbreak of the conflict.
The Gaza war, which erupted on October 7, has inflicted significant casualties and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region. Israel’s relentless offensive has killed at least 33,137 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
