Key Points
- Flotilla departure pushed back to September 10
- Mediterranean storms force regrouping in Spain
- Delegations await safe passage to Tunis
- Organisers vow to continue despite setbacks
ISLAMABAD: The departure of the Global Sumud Flotilla from Tunisia has been postponed until September 10 due to bad weather and delays in ship readiness, organisers confirmed in a video statement posted on X.
The convoy had originally been scheduled to leave from Sidi Bou Said Port earlier this week, but vessels arriving from Spain were forced to turn back after stormy winds swept the western Mediterranean.
According to Reuters, the flotilla—carrying activists including Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham—was hit by 35-mile-per-hour winds shortly after leaving Barcelona, forcing several ships to return to port.
A segment of the mission is now regrouping in Menorca, where flotilla representatives told Huffington Post España that safety checks, including aerial monitoring, were being conducted before resuming the journey.
Praying for safe passage
Malaysian participant Zulfadhli Khiruddin told The Star newspaper that his delegation was “praying for safe passage” while awaiting the rest of the convoy to reassemble before heading to Tunis.
Despite the disruptions, organisers remain adamant. Earlier, flotilla spokesperson Yasemin Acar was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying: “We are really determined to break the siege … if they intercept us … we will come back even stronger.”
The initiative is part of the broader Global Sumud mission, a series of solidarity efforts challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. As AP News noted, Tunisia has already hosted overland convoys of aid in recent months, underscoring the country’s role as a regional staging point for international support to Palestinians.
