Human Rights

Aid begins to flow into Gaza via US temporary pier

Around 500 tons of aid is expected to enter Gaza in the coming days, with more in the pipeline, after US anchored temporary pier to the beach.

US Army soldiers handle line to secure the floating pier to the side of the MV Roy P. Benavidez off the coast of Gaza on May 1. Aid began to flow into Gaza via the temporary pier on May 17. [US Navy]
US Army soldiers handle line to secure the floating pier to the side of the MV Roy P. Benavidez off the coast of Gaza on May 1. Aid began to flow into Gaza via the temporary pier on May 17. [US Navy]

By Al-Fassel |

Aid deliveries to Gaza began May 17 via a temporary pier aimed at ramping up emergency humanitarian assistance after US military personnel a day earlier anchored the pier to the beach.

"Today at approximately 9am, trucks carrying humanitarian assistance began moving ashore via a temporary pier in Gaza," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

"This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature," it said.

The effort "will involve aid commodities donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations."

The pier was "successfully affixed to the beach in Gaza" on May 16, CENTCOM said.

Around 500 tons of aid is expected to enter Gaza in the coming days via the new pier and there are "thousands of tons of aid in the pipeline," CENTCOM deputy commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said, ahead of the initial delivery.

"It's a pretty substantial amount, and it's spread out over multiple ships right now," Cooper said.

Trucks are moving the aid ashore from the pier, and the United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.

Humanitarian mission

Two US Navy destroyers will protect the aid operation, Pentagon officials said.

"This is a 100% humanitarian mission, and any attack on those working on it -- on this mission -- is an attack on aid for the people of Gaza," Cooper said.

Officials anticipate the pier will at first facilitate the delivery of about 90 daily truckloads of humanitarian aid, eventually increasing to roughly 150 truckloads, or about two million meals, per day.

Supplies are to be transported out of Cyprus on commercial vessels to a floating platform also built by the US military. Aid will then be transferred to smaller vessels and brought to the pier and taken to land by truck for distribution.

The United Kingdom said its first delivery of maritime aid to the US-built pier left Cyprus on May 15 and would be distributed "as soon as feasible."

The shipment includes almost 100 tons of temporary shelter kits and is the first part of a £2 million ($2.5 million) package of UK aid for Gaza.

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O Lord, may God provide

You are killing our children and our women, and you say that you are helping us. Go to hell, you and your help, you Americans, you dogs, you Free Masons, and Zionists. Every bullet and every missile that lands on a house and kills a person here in Gaza is made in America. Enough with this naivety, do you think we are retarded?

Yes, I liked it a lot, hello.

I would like to understand how after the American supply to Israel and the American bombing of innocent Gazan citizens who were safe in their homes and the demolition of homes on their residents, and after all this Nazi criminality, you see that their hearts have become tender all of a sudden? The dark truth is that they underestimate our intelligence, for even if it appears that the port is for aid, the next few days will reveal the purpose of building this port. God is victorious.

Thank you for helping the people of Gaza
Is it possible to get some aid to distribute in the central area, al-Nuseirat?