Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh on Friday set out the UAE's plans to increase aid deliveries to Gaza under a crucial partnership with Cyprus.
Ms Nusseibeh said a maritime corridor from Cyprus would be essential to efforts to step up the relief response for Palestinians bearing the brunt of the war with Israel.
She emphasised the importance of boosting humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza during a visit to Cyprus, where she inspected aid collections at the port of Limassol, Reuters reported.
“Maintaining multiple entry points into Gaza remains incredibly important,” Ms Nusseibeh told reporters. “As this plan moves forward, access to Gaza by land, air and sea is going to remain critical.”
About 22,000 tonnes of pre-screened aid has been dispatched from Cyprus under the Amalthea Initiative, launched last year.
In August, the UAE reiterated its dedication to delivering aid through the vital maritime corridor.
The Emirates and Cyprus reaffirmed their commitment to “alleviating the suffering of civilians by continuing to ensure safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian aid through all available and potential routes”.
“Both sides reiterate their shared commitment to working in close co-ordination with international partners to provide aid at scale through all available routes and across Gaza, consistent with international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles,” state news agency Wam reported at the time.
President Sheikh Mohamed held a phone call with Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus, in October to discuss the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to stress the importance of aid operations.
Ms Nusseibeh has played a key role in UAE foreign policy in recent years and has championed efforts to secure peace in Gaza and provide humanitarian support to civilians in the enclave.
She was appointed Minister of State in September, and has previously served as Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Before that, she was the UAE's ambassador to the UN for more than a decade until April 2024.
A US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza came into effect last month, raising hopes that peace and stability can be restored following the two-year conflict in which the death toll is approaching 70,000.
Much of Gaza's population of more than two million has been displaced by the war, with chronic food shortages and limited access to health services and aid leading to a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli military began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240.
