Jul 11, 2024 - World

U.S. to suspend Gaza humanitarian aid pier

Sareen Habeshian

Construction of a temporary port to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza in April 2024. Photo: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. will shut down its short-lived humanitarian aid pier for Gaza, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The $230 million project, which was intended to stave off famine in Gaza as other aid routes into the enclave closed, has suffered from inconsistent aid deliveries amid logistical issues.

What they're saying: "I do anticipate, in relatively short order, we will wind down pier operations," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Thursday.

Zoom in: The U.S. military's Central Command attempted to deliver aid to Palestinian civilians on Wednesday but was unable to re-anchor the pier to the beach in Gaza due to "technical and weather-related issues," Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

"The pier and support vessels and equipment are returning to Ashdod where they will remain until further notice," the statement reads. "A re-anchoring date has not been set."

Context: Inspectors general for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development had put the pier under review late last month as damage and the threat of high seas led to several pauses to the operation.

Since the pier was deemed operational in mid-May, nearly 20 million pounds of aid have been delivered through it, per the Department of Defense.

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U.S. to suspend Gaza humanitarian aid pier

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