A ship carrying 200 tonnes of aid for Gaza left Cyprus on Tuesday, in a pilot project to open a sea route to deliver supplies to a population aid agencies say is on the brink of famine.
The charity ship Open Arms was seen sailing out of Larnaca port in Cyprus, towing a barge containing flour, rice and protein. The mission was funded mostly by the U.A.E. and organized by U.S.-based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK).
The journey to Gaza takes about 15 hours, but a heavy tow barge could make the trip considerably longer, possibly up to two days. Cyprus is