Gaza Aid Pier
US President Joe Biden overruled internal warnings from his staff to approve the construction of a floating pier off the Gaza coast, intended to facilitate aid deliveries.
The decision, however, faced significant challenges and was ultimately deemed a failure, according to a critical report from the Office of the Inspector General at the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The watchdog report, released on Tuesday, reveals that multiple officials within USAID had expressed serious concerns about the floating pier, known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS).
These officials warned that focusing on this temporary pier could divert attention from more effective diplomatic efforts aimed at persuading Israel to lift its restrictions on overland aid deliveries.
The report suggests that these land crossings into Gaza, managed by Israel and Egypt, were seen as more reliable and proven methods for delivering humanitarian aid.
Despite these concerns, President Biden announced the directive for the pier’s construction during his State of the Union address in March.
This decision came after prolonged diplomatic efforts had failed to convince Israel to ease its restrictions on humanitarian assistance through its border crossings with Gaza.
The report from USAID’s Office of the Inspector General details how the focus shifted to making JLOTS operational after Biden’s directive. However, the floating pier’s mission faced a series of setbacks and disasters.
The US military declared the mission complete on July 17, after numerous issues that led to the pier being towed to an Israeli port multiple times for repairs.
The report attributed these challenges to a combination of “external factors,” including stringent Pentagon and Israeli military security requirements, as well as operational difficulties in a conflict zone.
Weather conditions, security issues, and logistical problems further complicated the pier’s effectiveness, limiting its operational days to just 20 out of the planned 90.
The pier fell significantly short of its intended goal of providing enough aid to support 500,000 people per month for three months. In reality, it managed to deliver enough food to feed only 450,000 people for one month.
The report highlights that the JLOTS project did not meet the US government’s humanitarian objectives and underscores the broader difficulties faced in delivering aid under complex and restrictive conditions.
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