The$ 230 million floating wharf built by the US government for maritime humanitarian deliveries to , Gaza , has been operating for only 12 times since its opening on , May 17, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
On , March 7, US President , Joe Biden , announced that the momentary pier “would allow a substantial increase in the amount of humanitarian aid getting into , Gaza , every day”.
The design of the two essential structures — a floating port anchored offshore and a wharf connected to the Gazan beach — took more than two months and involved about 1, 000 soldiers, sailors and many ships, including the , Royal Navy ‘s , landing fleet,  , Cardigan Bay, which served as lodging.
Since its release, the jetty has allowed for the distribution of about 250 truckloads of support, equating to 4, 100 tonnes of supplies, which is less than half of the post- war daily deliveries to , Gaza. Due to security concerns, the support arriving by water frequently has remained on the beach due to a shortage of cars for distribution.
The northeast Mediterranean’s rough seas have created sudden challenges, making the joint logistics over- the- shore system less effective than anticipated. The structure was built to operate in waves between 0. 5 and 1. 25 meters of” sea state 3″ of the ocean. However, it sustained damage during a storm on , May 25 , and has faced unseasonably choppy waters since then.
After repairs in Ashdod,  , Israel, the pier resumed operations on , June 8 , but faced further interruptions. It was dismantled again on , June 14 , as a precaution against impending storms. Despite being reinstalled, there are reports that the pier’s weather-related vulnerability could prevent it from being repaired as soon as next month.
” They just miscalculated” , , Stephen Morrison, a senior vice- president at the , Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Guardian. ” They did n’t fully understand what was going to happen with the weather … so the , DoD  ,]Department of Defence ] walks away, humiliated in a fashion”.
The Pentagon has not confirmed plans for an early termination of the mission, despite acknowledging the difficulties.
” We have not established an end date for this mission as of now, contrary to some press reporting on the matter”, chief spokesperson Maj , Gen Patrick Ryder , told The Guardian on Thursday.
The floating pier was intended to provide an alternative means of delivering aid to , Gaza, bypassing Israeli land restrictions. However, aid workers expressed concerns that the significant resources invested in the effort detracted from political pressure on , Israel , to open land crossings, which remain the most effective way to deliver aid.
Ziad Issa, head of policy and research at , Action Aid, noted a decline in aid deliveries to , Gaza, with an average of fewer than 100 trucks arriving daily in early June.
The distribution of aid in , Gaza, has been hampered by the severe security conditions. The Rafah crossing from , Egypt , has been closed since , May 7, following an Israeli military offensive, and the alternative , Keren Shalom , crossing in southern , Israel , has proved dangerous due to the volatile situation.
” It’s unsafe for aid workers and trucks to move because of the ongoing bombardments on , Gaza”, Issa told The Guardian. The Israelis announced a “tactical pause” last week to allow an aid corridor through southern , Gaza, but Issa said:” We have n’t seen any difference since these tactical pauses have come in place”.
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( c ) 2024 the Arab News
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