President Biden has made a historic decision to order the U.S. military to build a floating pier off the Gaza Strip to deliver aid to civilians amidst the ongoing conflict. This move marks a new phase in the United States’ humanitarian aid history, as it is rare for the U.S. to provide such services to people who are being bombed with tacit U.S. support.
The decision to build the floating pier came after criticism of the inadequate humanitarian airdrops for Gaza. Even with the floating pier, relief experts say it may not be enough to alleviate the suffering in the besieged territory, where residents are on the brink of starvation.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the help of combat engineers, will be building the floating pier for Gaza. The pier will be assembled alongside an Army ship off the Gaza coast and will require armed escorts for protection as it gets within range of the coast.
The floating pier will allow for the delivery of up to two million meals a day to the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip. While the airdrops and floating pier are a step in the right direction, aid officials emphasize that delivering supplies by land is the most efficient way to get aid into Gaza.
The U.S. will work with regional partners and European allies to build, fund, and maintain the corridor for aid delivery. The humanitarian aid will likely be gathered in Cyprus, allowing Israeli officials to screen the shipments first.
Despite the efforts to provide aid by sea, the central problems remain unsolved as trucks are still unable to deliver goods amid Israeli shelling and ground fighting. Delivering assistance by sea may also not prevent the chaos that has accompanied previous aid deliveries.
The U.S. military has a history of airdropping aid in conflict zones, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Biden’s decision to build a floating pier for Gaza demonstrates a commitment to providing humanitarian aid even in the midst of ongoing conflict.
