Prompted by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation signed an agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) as part of the “Food for Gaza” humanitarian initiative. Under the agreement, the Ministry will finance the purchase of 15 IVECO trucks, worth over EUR 2 million, which will strengthen the fleet of vehicles used by the WFP to distribute food aid in the Gaza Strip.
“This new and important initiative is further proof of the Italian Government’s concrete commitment to alleviating the humanitarian situation of the civilian population in Gaza,” commented Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, who pointed out that the vehicles provided will improve the speed and efficiency of the delivery of international aid to those in need.
This significant contribution from Italy follows the one announced at the end of July in favour of the WFP, amounting to EUR 12 million, which will allow the delivery of around 4,000 tonnes of foodstuffs to 1.1 million inhabitants of the Strip, as well as the dispatch of more than 60 tonnes of food and medical supplies collected by the Italian Government, which will soon be transferred from Jordan to the Strip.
Furthermore, as part of the “Food for Gaza” initiative, the Italian Customs Agency recently provided the Cypriot customs authorities with a state-of-the-art scanner to be used in the “sea corridor” to Gaza.
“Food for Gaza” is a humanitarian initiative launched last March by Deputy Prime Minister Tajani together with FAO, WFP, FICROSS (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) and the Italian Civil Protection Department.