As reported by an anonymous official on Friday, the US military is gearing up to temporarily relocate their floating pier, used for humanitarian assistance, from the coast of Gaza due to looming sea conditions. This predicament ensues from the challenges posed by poor weather ever since the pier was installed in May, which has repeatedly delayed efforts.
The US military’s offshore pier at Gaza had only just started to impart humanitarian assistance back into the region, after the weekend’s suspension. It is projected that the pier would likely be transported to Ashdod, an Israeli port, whilst awaiting favourable sea conditions.
On May 17th, aid started coming through the US-installed pier, enabling the United Nations (UN) to deliver 137 truckloads of assistance, approximately 900 metric tons, to the storage facilities. However, on May 28th, the operations were interrupted when the US declared the suspension of the operations for repair works.
As of Friday, UN officials have admitted to a continued halt of aid dispatches from the pier to the warehouses of the UN World Food Programme. Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq revealed that their security partners are striving to reinstate secure conditions for humanitarian work to recommence.
In March, US president Joe Biden had unveiled the plan to establish the pier for aid shipments given the impending famine in Gaza. This region, governed by Hamas, is home to 2.3 million individuals and was a site of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian insurgents.
The pier, which demands a contribution of around 1,000 US servicemen, is anticipated to burn a hole of hundreds of millions of dollars in the US’s pocket for the initial 90 days. – Reuters
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024