As part of the Italian government’s humanitarian initiative “Food for Gaza”, launched on 11 March by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, a ceremony was held this morning in Larnaca (Cyprus) to hand over to the Cypriot customs authorities a state-of-the-art scanner to facilitate the transit of emergency aid to Gaza.
Deputy Prime Minister Tajani said: “Today’s is another important step adding to the many actions implemented by the Italian government to provide concrete aid to the civilian population of Gaza. Thanks to a close synergy between different actors from the Italian System, the business world and multilateral bodies, we are handing over to the Cyprus authorities a control system that will facilitate and speed up the transit of humanitarian aid to Gaza”.
The scanner was provided by the Gioia Tauro Port Authority, in coordination with the Customs and Monopolies Agency and the Civil Protection Department, which are actively involved in the humanitarian centre for Gaza in Cyprus. The scanner, which was transported to Cyprus free of charge by the shipping company Grimaldi Lines, will enable checks on the humanitarian aid products that will be sent through the “maritime corridor” from Cyprus to Gaza. The Customs Agency’s contribution also includes the deployment of three teams of trainers who will assist the Cypriot authorities in setting up and operating the equipment.
The ceremony took place following last Friday’s telephone conversation between Minister Tajani and his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos, during which the cooperation between Italy and Cyprus was reaffirmed, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and ensuring peace and stability throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Besides the World Food Program, the FAO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Italian Red Cross, and the Civil Protection, as well as the Customs Agency and many other Italian entities, are also part of the Food for Gaza initiative.
