UN clears delivered aid supplies from pier area in Gaza
After the weather-related closure of the provisional US port at the Gaza Strip, the United Nations are relocating Thousands of Tonnes of aid goods away from the pier area. Workers have been present since Friday to transfer the accumulating aid items, primarily foodstuffs, into storage facilities, stated WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa to the German Press Agency.
The goods were supposedly to be distributed at a later time. When the transportation would be completed depends on how easily one can move within the coastal enclave, added Etefa. The provisional US port facility at the Gaza Coast was put into operation in mid-May to serve as a hub for the delivery of aid to the largely isolated coastal strips. The port has been out of service several times since then due to bad weather.
On Friday, the pier was again dismantled due to rough seas. It was supposed to be towed to Ashdod, approximately 30 kilometers away on the Israeli coast, according to the US Defense Ministry. When the pier could be put back into use again was uncertain. The distribution had been halted completely due to a massive Israeli military operation near the pier, as reported by the WFP.
The UN is exploring alternative methods to deliver Relief supplies to Gaza, as the ongoing Israel war has impacted the operation of the provisional US port. The disruption to the port has halted the distribution of thousands of tonnes of aid goods, including foodstuffs, intended for the population in Gaza.
