First Thing: Charity aid vessel sails from Cyprus as Gaza on brink of famine | US news

Good morning.A charity ship that has been docked in Cyprus for close to a month finally set sail for Gaza, taking almost 200 tonnes of aid in a pilot project to open a new sea route for humanitarian assistance to a population on the brink of famine.The boat is towing a barge containing flour, rice and protein as well as water and medicines – provisions that are now desperately needed in the besieged coastal strip amid reports of famine spreading among its 2.3 millions strong Palestinian populace.The mission, mostly funded by the United Arab Emirates, is being organised by the US-based…