The United States has announced plans to utilize a pier for receiving aid for the Gaza Strip. However, there are challenges in setting up the distribution process, posing a test for President Biden's commitment to easing the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
The inauguration of the $320 million U.S.-constructed floating pier would mark a significant milestone, as it would be the first major use of a sea route to deliver assistance to Gaza since the current conflict began.
This initiative involves hundreds of troops, several ships, and enjoys support from humanitarian groups and various nations, including Israel. The U.S. aims to commence the use of the pier to deliver humanitarian aid in the coming days, as per a statement from a White House spokesperson, following Biden's announcement of the plan in March during his State of the Union address.
The opening of the pier comes at a crucial juncture in the over seven-month-long conflict in Gaza. Israel has initiated military operations in the southern city of Rafah, which threatens the two main aid crossing points. In response, the U.S., opposing a potential invasion of Rafah, has halted a shipment of weapons. Over a million Gazans are facing famine-like conditions, according to a United Nations-backed system monitoring hunger crises worldwide.
Despite nearing operational readiness, key details regarding the distribution of aid upon reaching the shore remain unresolved, according to U.S. officials.
"There are many moving pieces, literally and metaphorically, that need to come together for this to be effective," stated Shejal Pulivarti, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the lead agency for humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Defense Department will coordinate logistics between the U.S. and Israeli militaries and USAID, with assistance from the Israeli military in Cyprus—where the aid is inspected—and a three-star U.S. Army general based at Hatzor Air Base near Ashdod, Israel.
While the Israeli military is preparing a 67-acre zone in Gaza to receive the humanitarian aid and is working closely with its U.S. counterparts, it has not commented on the entity responsible for distributing the aid in Gaza.
The U.S. has not specified a plan for storing, securing, and distributing the aid upon reaching land, but American officials intend to collaborate with the U.N. World Food Program, which will join the logistics effort "in the coming days," according to Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson.
The U.N. officials say the plan is still being developed, and they have not been involved in discussions regarding the functioning of the maritime corridor. "If we're expected to receive and unload ships with a bulk of humanitarian assistance, which would, of course, be welcome, we just want to know how we're expected to do that," expressed a senior U.N. official.
Concerns have been raised within the U.S. government due to the lack of concrete plans for securing and distributing the aid, despite the pier being days away from operation. "It feels like we are throwing a party and we don't know if anyone will show up," commented a U.S. official.
The potential risks associated with the pier are significant. Since the war began in October, around 200 aid workers, including seven from the World Central Kitchen—an aid group founded by celebrity chef José Andrés—have lost their lives in Gaza. Additionally, there is no clear authority on the ground to secure the distribution of the aid, posing further challenges.
Hamas, the militant group in Gaza responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the conflict, has warned that it would consider U.S. forces operating around the pier as an occupying force and a potential target.
Environmental challenges also loom over the floating pier, with military officials warning that the choppy waters in the Mediterranean Sea could damage the structure, making it unsafe. The U.S. military has delayed the pier's installation due to adverse weather conditions.
Even after the pier becomes operational, a steady supply of aid by sea is not guaranteed. Current and former U.S. officials familiar with the plan estimate that only about 8,000 pallets worth of aid are in Cyprus, which is only enough for a few days for Gaza's 2.2 million inhabitants. It remains unclear how additional aid can be provided to sustain deliveries. Compared to land crossings, which are a cheaper and more efficient way to provide humanitarian assistance, the pier has a more limited capacity. Initially, it would enable around 90 trucks of humanitarian aid per day to enter Gaza, expanding soon after to 150 trucks per day. Before the war, about 500 trucks entered Gaza daily.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. and broader U.N. system plan to work together on the maritime corridor, provided that U.N. concerns over neutrality and security are addressed and land access is expanded, according to Martin Penner, a spokesperson for the World Food Program.
"Our concern is that the maritime corridor, instead of becoming a forward-looking access point for a future Palestine, a future Gaza," said Bushra Khalidi, a policy lead at Oxfam, "looks like it will become another chokepoint."