The World Health Organization (WHO) has facilitated the delivery of some 106 metric tonnes of lifesaving nutrition supplies to the Gaza Strip - the first shipment via a mechanism to deliver aid by sea, in line with a UN Security Council resolution and amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The consignment through the WHO Humanitarian Bridge Initiative in Cyprus arrived at Ashdod port in Israel and is being prepared for onward distribution to the devastated enclave.
"This shipment marks a significant operational milestone in strengthening WHO's interregional humanitarian logistics capacity for a region affected by the ongoing conflict, particularly in Gaza," the UN agency said .
Scaling up delivery
The Humanitarian Bridge Initiative is a coordinated effort between WHO offices in Cyprus and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
It is designed to enable the timely, scalable and efficient delivery of essential health commodities to the Gaza Strip by sea under the framework of Security Council resolution 2720 (2023) , which called for establishing a UN mechanism to step up aid provision through countries that were not party to the hostilities there.
The Cypriot Government is taking the lead alongside the UN 2720 mechanism team implemented by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Together, they provide a neutral, transparent and internationally coordinated maritime corridor for humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.
Saving time, reducing bottlenecks
"The mechanism further reinforces Cyprus's role as a strategic humanitarian logistics staging point, leveraging its geographic proximity, approximately 370 kilometers from Gaza, and its position within the European Union single market to facilitate the rapid mobilization and dispatch of critical supplies," WHO said.
Moreover, "by complementing existing humanitarian corridors for Gaza and diversifying supply routes, the initiative has the potential to significantly reduce delivery timelines and mitigate operational bottlenecks that have constrained humanitarian access in the past."
Looking ahead, WHO said the bridge initiative will continue to support strategic prepositioning, consolidation and the rapid dispatch of essential supplies, thus strengthening the agency's operational readiness for Gaza as well as health emergencies and disasters across the whole region.
