The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark, which is on the Mission Harmony-2024, arrived at the port of Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, for a 7-day friendly visit.
This is Peace Ark's first visit to Benin, and also the first time a Chinese naval ship has paid a visit to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Medical teams on the vessel will provide service for local residents during their stay.
Local residents, Chinese citizens in Benin, and representatives of Chinese-invested companies boarded the naval hospital ship for a visit during its public opening.
"We are Chinese working in Benin. The moment we saw the arrival of Peace Ark coming from our homeland, we were excited, and tears filled our eyes because we feel the strength of our country," said Xu Hewei, a Chinese in Benin.
This is the 10th Mission Harmony for "Peace Ark" since its commissioning in 2008.
This mission will be the longest voyage undertaken by the "Peace Ark" among all the Harmony missions, and it is set to visit a record number of 13 countries.
Chinese naval hospital ship makes maiden visit to Benin
Numerous people in the Gaza Strip are facing risk of famine that could endure into the winter, a result of the substantial disruption in the food supply chain caused by Israel's closure of crossings and prevention of the entry of commercial goods and international humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
The World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization stated on Thursday that the latest findings of the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) report highlight the ongoing risk of famine throughout the entire Gaza Strip.
Over September and October, the entire territory is classified at IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). About 1.84 million people across Gaza are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, categorized at IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above, with nearly 133,000 people facing catastrophic food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 5.
Consequently, experts have emphasized that the risk of famine will persist in Gaza this winter unless fighting ceases and more humanitarian aid reaches affected families.
"The supply of food, medicine, and fuel to the northern Gaza Strip has been halted. Things are also getting worse in the rest of the Gaza Strip," said Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network.
Ali Al-Qassas, a displaced Palestinian living in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, said he has been unable to find anything to ease his children's hunger due to the absence of aid and the increasing prices. He also said he has to search for food in garbage.
"There's no food. A kilogram of tomatoes costs 60 shekels, a kilogram of potatoes costs 50 shekels and a kilogram of meat costs 100 shekels. Where and how do we get food and water! Even the price of sugar has risen, and cooking oil's price has become 25 shekels. We do not receive any aid from anyone," Al-Qassas said.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, on Wednesday described the situation in the Gaza Strip as catastrophic due to the hunger crisis and the spread of diseases.
He further stated that UNRWA is nearing a "possible breaking point" in its operations in Gaza because of increasingly complicated conditions.
Despite numerous international calls for Israel to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army continues to enforce a strict blockade.
Gazans at risk of famine due to Israeli block on food supply
