US humanitarian pier may be rebuilt this week, unclear if WFP seems safe to restart distribution

It’s uncertain if the World Food Programme will greenlight the resumption of its operations collecting and delivering food and other essential items from the marshalling area connected to the United States’ humanitarian pier once it’s reestablished off the coast of Gaza, according to the UN. 

A UN spokesperson said Wednesday that there are no updates on the WFP’s security evaluation. However, two US officials told Reuters that the floating pier is  expected to resume operations on Thursday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pier had been re-attached to the shore on Wednesday after being temporarily removed last Friday due to poor sea conditions.

In a July 9 interview with CBS, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said pier operations were paused after two warehouses were rocketed and one man sustained injuries. McCain told CBS she wasn’t sure how WFP’s warehouses were rocketed as the organization shares its locations with Israel. 

It was necessary to pause operations until WFP could ensure safety of its personnel and facility, according to McCain. 

On multiple days last week, food collected in the marshalling area on the shore without any aid organizations available for distribution.

US Central Command announced it was detaching the pier last Friday ahead of threatening weather conditions, and on Tuesday the Pentagon claimed the pier would be rebuilt this week without giving a specific timeline. 

Pier reportedly resuming operations next month

On Tuesday, both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported the pier will fully cease operations in July, well ahead of initial predictions. The Pentagon refused to comment on these reports.

“Our basic position has always been that we welcome any and all efforts to bring in additional aid to Gaza given the crucial need for aid,” a UN spokesperson said on Wednesday. “But at the same time, we have made very clear the limitations of getting aid through these avenues.”

UN aid agencies were also not able to pick up any aid delivered through Kerem Shalom on Wednesday due to unrest in the area, the spokesperson said. 

Kerem Shalom is just a drop off, the spokesperson said, and Israel has the responsibility to ensure the assistance reaches those who need it most and enables the environment to do so. 

The spokesperson said the UN is working with its Israeli counterparts to make sure that “those additional responsibilities are dealt with.”

It’s also unclear how much food is getting into Rafah and other parts of Southern Gaza.

The US military estimates the pier will cost more than $200 million for the first 90 days and involve about 1,000 service members.

It is unclear how much longer it will be operational.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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