(Washington) The delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza via the U.S.-built temporary pier has been suspended after the facility was damaged due to weather conditions, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday.
The United States, Israel’s primary military supporter, installed this pier off the coast of Gaza in mid-May in the face of severe restrictions imposed by Israel on the land delivery of aid to the Palestinian territory, ravaged by more than seven months of war.
“The reconstruction and repair of the pier will take at least more than a week,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokesperson, said during a press briefing.
“Once the repair and reconstruction of the pier is completed, the aim is to anchor the temporary pier again on the coast of Gaza and resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people who need it most,” he said. she added.
An alternative deemed insufficient by humanitarians, the American pier is not experiencing its first setback. On Saturday, four US military boats used for this pier ran aground due to “rough seas”, according to the US military Middle East Command (CENTCOM).
According to the United Nations, almost all of the Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced by fighting and bombardment, and are food insecure, with the risk of large-scale famine. .