OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada will provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea. 

In a statement released today, Joly says Canada will join the international coalition that is working together to increase the flow of aid to Gaza through a humanitarian sea corridor originating from Cyprus.  

The announcement comes following a meeting Joly had with her counterpart for the United Arab Emirates. 

In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Joly says they discussed the need to increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza through all means possible. 

On Friday, the UAE, along with the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy the Netherlands, Cyprus, the United Kingdom and the United States jointly announced their intent to open a maritime corridor. 

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry after five months of war, and the push for aid comes as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins Monday in much of the world.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2024. 

— With files from the Associated Press. 

The Canadian Press