The government will continue to send food and other essential items including tents for the war-hit Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said during a visit to the UN logistics hub in Brindisi, southern Italy on Thursday.
"Planes will leave from here, while ships will leave from (the Calabrian port of) Gioia Tauro and go to Cyprus and then through the humanitarian corridor to Gaza," Tajani stated.
Tajani travelled to Brindisi with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Global Service Centre, a fulcrum for the world body's peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.
"We are collecting food supplies, but also sanitary and hygiene items. There will also be many tents and even a tent for an Italian Red Cross advanced field hospital," Tajani continued.
Tajani recalled the "very important" 'Food for Gaza' scheme unveiled in March by the Italian government in coordination with the UN World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Italian agricultural producers and other Italian players.
"Food for Gaza also has the support of Israel's government and the Palestinian Authority. It's true humanitarian project," Tajani stated.
The first shipment of tens of tonnes of food and sanitary items headed to Gaza via Brindisi and Jordan on 3 June under the 'Food for Gaza' scheme, for which 30 million euros has been allocated, the foreign ministry stated.
Brindisi hosts both the UNGSC, located at the military section of the city's airport, and WFP's United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD)
