United States plans to remove Gaza aid pier
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Saturday, June 29, 2024
Image: US Army.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that it will remove its aid pier in the Gaza Strip due to bad weather. Despite this, stockpiles of food remain in a nearby storage yard. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a press conference that "the safety of our service members is a top priority, and temporarily relocating the pier will prevent potential structural damage that could be caused by the heightened sea state."
On the same day, two US officials said that the United Nations began delivering food aid again to Gaza for the first time since it halted such aid in June 9, citing potential danger to workers' safety and neutrality.
Built as a temporary way of delivering food aid into Gaza amid the ongoing famine and Israel's bombing campaign, the pier was announced by US President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address in March, and so far has cost US$230 million. The Biden administration has called the project a "great success," although it has drawn criticism for allegedly being a "publicity stunt."
The next day, UN workers started unloading aid stuck on the pier.
The pier's removal may be permanent unless existing stockpiles begin flowing into the region again, although the final decision as to whether the pier will resume operation has not been made.
Sources
edit- Hannah Sarisohn. "US humanitarian aid pier to be removed, Pentagon won't commit to it being reestablished" — The Jerusalem Post, June 28, 2024
- Tara Copp. "US removes Gaza aid pier due to weather and may not put it back, officials say" — AP News, June 28, 2024
- Lolita Baldor; Tara Copp. "This is how the US-built pier to bring aid to Gaza has worked — or not" — AP News, June 28, 2024
- Courtney Kube; Mosheh Gains. "The U.N. begins distributing food aid in Gaza brought ashore by the U.S. military for the first time since June 9" — NBC News, June 28, 2024
- Brett Wilkins. "As US Aid Shipments Begin, Gaza Pier Denounced as 'PR Move'" — Common Dreams, May 17, 2024