UAE and Cyprus issue joint statement, condemn Israeli strike on World Central Kitchen aid workers

Abu Dhabi: In a statement issued on Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Cyprus expressed their profound condemnation over Israel's strike on humanitarian aid workers of the World Central Kitchen (WCK), and conveyed their deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and their countries, and to the management and staff of WCK, as well as their wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

The UAE and Cyprus strongly denounced all acts of violence against humanitarian workers who dedicate their lives to serving those in need, and reiterated that targeting humanitarian aid staff is a flagrant violation of all international treaties that ensure the protection of relief and rescue workers.

The UAE, Cyprus and World Central Kitchen through the Amalthea Initiative aim to provide urgent humanitarian aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip to avert a famine in northern Gaza and prevent further suffering in the Strip, through the delivery and safe distribution of food supplies.

The two countries emphasised that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza requires the adoption of such a collective international approach to immediately mitigate the threat to innocent lives, by ensuring urgent, safe, unhindered, and sustainable delivery of aid.

Palestinian families are in urgent need of essential requirements to prevent further exacerbating the health situation. It is therefore imperative that Israel must exercise its responsibility to protect humanitarian workers who should be able to carry out this vital work safely and without fear of losing their lives.