Second ship with aid bound for Gaza leaves Cyprus port

A second vessel carrying aid to war-torn Gaza set sail from Cyprus on Saturday, an AFP correspondent said, more than two weeks after the last shipment arrived by sea.

Almost 400 tons of aid is being carried to Gaza on a flotilla organized by two charities -- the US-based World Central Kitchen and the Spanish Open Arms.

The barge and two salvage vessels left the port of Larnaca following diplomacy by Cyprus to try to open a maritime corridor to the territory, under siege by Israeli forces since last October.

The flotilla will take around 65 hours to reach Gaza, according to the state-funded Cyprus News Agency.

World Central Kitchen said the shipment contains items like rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins.

The United Arab Emirates provided a special cargo of dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the charity said.

A makeshift dock has been constructed for unloading humanitarian aid in Gaza.