International
The first shipment of food by sea to Gaza is going as planned, according to NGOs
The first shipment of humanitarian aid by sea to Gaza is going as planned and the spis to disembark on the coast of the Strip will be ready when it reaches its destination, World Central Kitchen (WCK), one of the managers of the operation, said on Thursday.
“Our departure and sailing times will fit perfectly with our arrival and construction times of this port. Everything is going as planned,” Juan Camilo Jiménez, Response Manager of World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO founded by Spanish chef José Andrés, told EFE.
For security reasons, no details have been given about the crossing or the time of arrival at the Strip.
This organization, together with the Spanish NGO Open Arms, have been planning for months the opening of a humanitarian corridor by sea, which was inaugurated last Tuesday with the departure from Cyprus of a ship carrying 200 tons of food, equivalent to about 500,000 meals.
Jiménez also confirmed that a second shipment is already being prepared in the Cypriot port of Larnaca, of another 400 tons, which will leave in the coming days, with the aim of alleviating the famine caused by the blockade and Israel’s attacks on Gaza in its offensives to try to destroy the Islamist group Hamas after the terrorist massacre of last October 7.
As with the Open Arms, this second boat will unload the food on the 35-meter edor that WCK collaborators are building to make up for the lack of ports on the coast of Gaza.
However, Jiménez acknowledged that since this operation was planned, he was aware that these maritime shipments should not replace other entry routes, such as the Rafah land crossing, between Egypt and Gaza, having more capacity, air supplies or more corridors by sea.
“This is one more way and at the moment there are not enough ways to meet the demand for the needs that exist,” he said.
Regarding the distribution of food on the ground, Jiménez recalled that WCK has been working in Gaza for four months, where it has prepared 35 million meals in collaboration with staff and local communities.
Thus, to avoid crowds and problems with the arrival of aid by sea, the NGO will adapt the logistics and networks it has built in recent months, he said.
Regarding the announcement last Friday by the European Commission of the opening of a maritime corridor, the head of WCK said that he does not know what are the “mechanisms” that European governments or other countries have in place, but his NGO is willing to listen and see how it can join.
At the moment, the first shipment and the one being prepared have been coordinated with Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Although there is a lot of hope that this maritime corridor will serve to alleviate the serious humanitarian needs of the Strip, its government, controlled by Hamas, has criticized the initiative because the 200 tons of food it loads “does not exceed that of one or two trucks” and also “it takes days to arrive.”
Hamas, like humanitarian agencies, insist on the need to open more land routes for the distribution of aid throughout the enclave, especially in the north, where more than 700,000 citizens are at risk of famine and 27 people, mostly babies, have already died from malnutrition and dehydration.
“The efforts to help our people are weak and remain below the minimum required in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe that afflicts,” the Gaza government lamented yesterday.
Meanwhile, after more than five months of war, hunger and bombs continue to kill people in the enclave, where the death toll amounts to 31,340 dead and 73,134 injured, in addition to about 7,000 bodies trapped under the rubble, according to the Ministry of Health.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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