Cyprus’ signature humanitarian sea corridor – known as the Amalthea Plan – notched another major milestone on 4 November with the dispatch of 940 tonnes of emergency supplies from Limassol to Israel’s port of Ashdod for onward distribution inside Gaza.
The consignment, coordinated by the Cypriot Foreign Ministry in partnership with the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), consisted mainly of foodstuffs, medical consumables and winter-proof shelter materials. According to officials, the aid lift brings the total tonnage delivered via the corridor since its activation in March 2024 to more than 27,000 tonnes.
![Cyprus ships 940 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza through ‘Amalthea’ maritime corridor]()
The Amalthea corridor was created after overland routes into Gaza became chronically congested and dangerous. Cyprus leveraged its geographic proximity – just 370 km from Gaza – and its EU-standard port security infrastructure to screen, seal and ship cargo so that it can bypass secondary Israeli inspections. This assurance has proved critical for donor governments and NGOs trying to scale deliveries as the war drags on.
For global-mobility managers, the programme has turned Limassol into a high-throughput logistics hub almost overnight. Multinational companies with operations in the Eastern Mediterranean are already using the same vetting and tracking facilities to move expatriate staff and critical spare parts when regional airspace is periodically closed. Shipping lines have added ad-hoc feeder services, and Cypriot authorities have introduced fast-track visas for humanitarian personnel, providing a real-time stress-test of Cyprus’ border-management systems ahead of its hoped-for Schengen accession.
Looking ahead, Nicosia says it is open to expanding the model to other crisis zones. Officials are drafting a permanent ‘Humanitarian Corridor Visa’ that would grant short-stay, multiple-entry rights to aid workers and corporate technical teams supporting relief operations, a development that could further cement Cyprus’ role as a strategic mobility bridge between Europe and the Middle East.
The consignment, coordinated by the Cypriot Foreign Ministry in partnership with the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), consisted mainly of foodstuffs, medical consumables and winter-proof shelter materials. According to officials, the aid lift brings the total tonnage delivered via the corridor since its activation in March 2024 to more than 27,000 tonnes.
The Amalthea corridor was created after overland routes into Gaza became chronically congested and dangerous. Cyprus leveraged its geographic proximity – just 370 km from Gaza – and its EU-standard port security infrastructure to screen, seal and ship cargo so that it can bypass secondary Israeli inspections. This assurance has proved critical for donor governments and NGOs trying to scale deliveries as the war drags on.
For global-mobility managers, the programme has turned Limassol into a high-throughput logistics hub almost overnight. Multinational companies with operations in the Eastern Mediterranean are already using the same vetting and tracking facilities to move expatriate staff and critical spare parts when regional airspace is periodically closed. Shipping lines have added ad-hoc feeder services, and Cypriot authorities have introduced fast-track visas for humanitarian personnel, providing a real-time stress-test of Cyprus’ border-management systems ahead of its hoped-for Schengen accession.
Looking ahead, Nicosia says it is open to expanding the model to other crisis zones. Officials are drafting a permanent ‘Humanitarian Corridor Visa’ that would grant short-stay, multiple-entry rights to aid workers and corporate technical teams supporting relief operations, a development that could further cement Cyprus’ role as a strategic mobility bridge between Europe and the Middle East.
