The flight arranged by the Italian Cooperation and departed from the UN logistics base in Brindisi as part of the “Food for Gaza” initiative landed in the early hours of the morning in Amman.
The flight carried more than 60 tons of humanitarian aid, including non-perishable food, collected thanks to the support of Coldiretti and Confagricoltura, together with kits for health and hygiene, healthcare equipment and 150 tents made available by the Italian Cooperation.
The cargo was brought to Jordan to be later transported and distributed in the Gaza Strip for the benefit of the Palestinian civilian population.
The Food for Gaza initiative was launched in March on the initiative of Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani in collaboration with the FAO, the WFP, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
As Minister Tajani stated, “this operation provides a tangible demonstration of the attention being paid by the Italian Government to the humanitarian situation in the Strip”. “We are committed to do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza,” continued Tajani.
This first dispatch will be followed by other shipments of goods donated by the members of the Italian Country System. Today’s humanitarian flight follows the provision, on 9 July, of a latest-generation scanner needed to strengthen the maritime corridor from Cyprus. The scanner will speed up inspections of international humanitarian aid containers reaching Gaza via Israeli ports. Further financial contributions to the FAO, WFP, and FICROSS (Red Cross and Red Crescent Federation) for projects in support of the Palestinian population are also being considered.
