US establishes Gaza pier in attempt to boost aid

STORY: :: The U.S. anchors a temporary floating pier

in Gaza to help boost aid deliveries

:: May 16, 2024

:: Sabrina Singh, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary

"The establishment of the Trident Pier has been coordinated to support USAID's and the UN's effort to deliver and distribute aid. In the coming days, aid will be offloaded from the ships at a floating roll-on roll-off distribution facility, ferried to this Trident pier and then driven to the shore in Gaza, where USAID and the U.N. will manage the distribution." // "The pier is temporary and not meant to replace land routes into Gaza. And last, this is an internationally backed effort coordinated with the United Nations. The U.S. military is merely providing the logistical support to enable humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza from the sea. For weeks, we have been working side by side with the USAID team, the Cypriots, the Israelis and the United Nations to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza."

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the plan for the pier in March as aid officials implored Israel to improve access for relief supplies into Gaza over land routes.

By opening a route to deliver aid by sea, the U.S. hopes to combat the humanitarian crisis that has put hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine.

The United Nations stressed that delivering aid by land was the "most viable, effective and efficient" method.

The United States State Department said the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate and urged Israel to allow sustained access for aid via the southern and northern parts of the enclave.