US military shuts down problematic Gaza aid pier, shifts to Israeli port
Al Jazeera
After operating for fewer than 25 days, the US military’s multimillion-dollar Gaza aid pier will be dismantled.
The United States military has said its mission to install and operate a temporary, floating pier off the coast of Gaza to bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians has ended.
The $230m trouble-prone pier had to be removed repeatedly from Gaza’s shore because of poor weather conditions since its initial installation in mid-May.
US military officials said on Wednesday that the pier had achieved its mission despite United Nations estimates that 96 percent of Gaza’s population is food insecure, and one in five Palestinians, or about 495,000 people, face starvation amid Israel’s nine-month war on the territory.
“Our assessment is that the temporary pier has achieved its intended effect to surge a very high volume of aid into Gaza and ensure that aid reaches the civilians in Gaza in a quick manner,” US Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of US Central Command, told a news briefing.
“The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there’s no more need to use the pier,” Cooper said, adding that aid intended for Gaza would now be shipped through Israel’s Port of Ashdod.
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