UK ship sets sail to help building of aid jetty

A UK ship to house hundreds of US army personnel building a jetty to speed up aid delivery to Gaza has set sail from Cyprus, a UK defence source said on Saturday.

Royal Navy support ship “Cardigan Bay” will help support the international effort to construct the temporary floating pier, which is set to be completed early May, according to the Pentagon.

The pier will initially facilitate the delivery of 90 truckloads of international aid a day into Gaza, rising to up to 150 truckloads once fully operational, according to US estimates.

The aid will be prescreened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza via the pier off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has said it will open.

“It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support,” UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said.

The UN insists that an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid by land is needed to help a starving population facing shortages of medical supplies.

The European Union on Friday said it was giving an extra 68 million euros to provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

“In light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the steady rise of needs on the ground, the European Commission is stepping up its funding to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war,” an EU statement said.

The EU said the new aid would be focused on food deliveries, clean water, sanitation and shelters, and would be channelled through local partners on the ground.