THE UNITED Nation announced yesterday that a Word Food Programme-chartered catamaran would begin a twice-weekly passenger service for NGOs and diplomats between Cyprus and Beirut, as reconstruction and aid distribution efforts stepped up in the war-torn country.
The Vittoria M sailed yesterday to Beirut with 40 people, all UN personnel and members of NGOs. Beginning next week, it will operate on Mondays and Fridays, offering free passage to authorised personnel of UN agencies, OCHA-accredited NGOs, and the diplomatic community. The vessel accommodates up to 300 people.
After handling most of the evacuation efforts, Cyprus has now been pinpointed as the quickest shipping route available to aid agencies. Phillipe Martou, head of the UN logistics effort in Cyprus, stated that the catamaran “will run as long as required. Our priority is to open up Beirut airport to all traffic and when it opens this ship will finish its job.”
The Rafik Hariri international airport yesterday received its first commercial flight since the Israeli blockade began 36 days ago, a Middle East Airlines passenger jet from Jordan. Reports say that the blockade has only been lifted for flights between Beirut and Amman, though no officials have commented why.
Airport officials have stated, however, that the ban on all other commercial flights to and from Beirut could be lifted as soon as next week.
The UN-chartered Anamcara vessel has meanwhile been transporting aid to Beirut and Tyre from Limassol, mainly for the UN Logistics Cluster. The vessel left for Beirut on Saturday evening, arriving on Sunday, carrying approximately 880 metric tonnes of aid.
The aid included food, shelter items, medical supplies, vehicles, as well as 230 metric tonnes of diesel fuel, which will be used to power generators in Lebanese hospitals. The vessel is also being used to transport some additional cargo for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as UNICEF, the WFP, WHO and Premiere Urgence.
“Opening up the sea route south is extremely important for us, as it enables us to reach people quickly without having to rely on the land route, which has been extensively bombed and forces us to make long and circuitous detours,” said Thomas Keusters, head of WFP logistics in Lebanon.
