The US military’s humanitarian pier off the coast of Gaza, which has been hampered by bad weather and aid distribution problems, will shut down soon, Reuters reports quoting a statement from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Much of the aid has not reached hungry Gazans after the UN World Food Programme paused operations in June because of security concerns.
Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said the military unsuccessfully tried to re-anchor the pier on Wednesday. There was no new date for a re-anchoring, but the effort would soon end.
“The pier has always been intended as a temporary solution to enable the additional flow of aid into Gaza during a period of dire humanitarian need […] the pier will soon cease operations,” Ryder said.
US officials have told Reuters that the pier operations could shift to the Israeli port of Ashdod as soon as next week, when aid meant for the pier in Cyprus could dry up.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the pier had helped bring urgently needed food and humanitarian aid to Gaza, but there were now additional supplies entering the Palestinian enclave via land routes.
“The real issue right now is not about getting aid into Gaza. It’s about getting aid around Gaza effectively,” he said, citing lawlessness, armed gangs and in some cases, the Hamas militant group trying to disrupt aid distribution.
