Relief Shipments To Gaza Halted Following Damage To US Military Pier

Post by : Kanchan Chandel

Photo-Reuters

The United States military has halted aid shipments to the Gaza Strip by sea due to damage sustained by its temporary pier, announced the Pentagon on Tuesday. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh attributed the damage to adverse weather conditions, including high seas and the impact of a North African weather system. She informed reporters that a section of the pier had detached on Tuesday morning, necessitating repairs that are expected to take over a week. Once repairs are completed, the temporary pier will need to be re-anchored to the coast of Gaza before humanitarian aid deliveries can resume.

This setback is the latest in a series of challenges faced by the pier, which was only inaugurated two weeks prior. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Saturday that four US Army vessels supporting the pier had broken free from their moorings and run aground amid heavy seas. While two vessels ended up beached in Gaza, the other two washed ashore on the coast of Israel, approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Tel Aviv. Sabrina Singh indicated that one vessel had been recovered, with plans in place to retrieve the remaining three within the next 48 hours.

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The interruption in aid deliveries comes at a critical time for Gaza, which is currently enduring one of its deadliest conflicts. The conflict erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel, resulting in a significant loss of life, predominantly among civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has led to further casualties in Gaza, with a significant portion of the population suffering due to the siege imposed on the territory. The blockade has severely limited access to essential resources such as clean water, food, medicines, and fuel for Gaza's 2.4 million inhabitants.

Earlier in March, US President Joe Biden had announced plans to construct the pier to mitigate the restrictions imposed by Israel on aid deliveries to Gaza via land routes. The US Central Command reported that over 1,000 metric tons of aid had been delivered by sea to a designated transfer point on the beach, with the majority subsequently distributed to a UN warehouse. However, the recent damage to the temporary pier has temporarily halted these vital aid deliveries, underscoring the challenges faced in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza amidst ongoing conflict and logistical obstacles.

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