US Military Ship Sets Sail to Build Temporary Pier for Aid Delivery in Gaza
In a bid to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, a US military ship named General Frank S Besson has embarked on a journey towards the Middle East. Its mission is to construct a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, enabling aid to be delivered by sea. The decision comes after President Joe Biden pledged US support to build a floating harbor, recognizing the difficulties and dangers associated with land and air deliveries.
The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. The UN has warned that famine in Gaza is “almost inevitable,” with children starving to death. Previous attempts at aid delivery have been met with challenges. The World Food Programme had to suspend land deliveries due to gunfire and looting incidents. Tragically, there were reports of five people losing their lives when an aid package fell from the sky after its parachute failed to open properly.
The US ship wasted no time in setting sail, departing less than 36 hours after President Biden’s announcement. It carries the initial equipment required to establish the temporary pier for delivering vital humanitarian supplies. However, building the pier is estimated to take up to 60 days and involve the assistance of 1,000 troops who will remain on board the ship without going ashore. Charities have expressed concerns that the people of Gaza cannot afford to wait that long for aid.
Meanwhile, another aid ship called Open Arms, operated by the Spanish charity of the same name, is awaiting clearance to set sail from a port in Cyprus. Loaded with approximately 200 tonnes of food provided by US charity World Central Kitchen, Open Arms hopes to depart before Monday. The European Union has announced the opening of a new sea route over the weekend, allowing aid to sail directly from Cyprus, the closest EU country to Gaza.
While it remains uncertain how aid delivered by sea will reach shore before the completion of the US pier, there are plans in motion. Oscar Camps, the founder of Open Arms, revealed that a team from World Central Kitchen has been constructing a pier at the undisclosed destination point to receive the aid. Israel has expressed support for this ocean initiative and stated that aid will be delivered after security checks are conducted in Cyprus, aligning with Israeli standards.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, with the UN warning that 576,000 people in Gaza, a quarter of the population, are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Western countries have urged Israel to facilitate more routes and open additional crossings to expand land deliveries. While some aid has been able to enter through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, the north has been largely cut off from assistance. Approximately 300,000 Palestinians in the north are living in dire conditions with limited access to food and clean water.
Israel has faced accusations of impeding aid efforts, with an independent UN expert accusing it of waging “a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” In response, Yeela Cytrin, a legal adviser at the Israeli mission to the UN, vehemently denied these allegations before walking out in protest.
As the US military ship embarks on its mission to build a temporary pier for aid delivery, hopes are high that it will alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza. The urgency of the situation demands swift action and international cooperation to ensure that vital humanitarian supplies reach those in need.