US to build pier for Gaza aid
On 9 March, a military ship set off from the US for Gaza, a strip of land that borders Israel. The ship is carrying equipment to build a pier (a platform extending from the land into the sea) off Gaza’s coast, to deliver essential aid to people in Gaza.
What is the US hoping to achieve?
The US hopes that once the pier has been built, it will enable two million meals a day to be given out to people in Gaza. The United Nations (UN), a group made up of most of the world’s countries, has warned that at least 576,000 people in Gaza are “one step away from famine”. Famine is a widespread shortage of food that can lead to starvation.
After more than five months of war in Gaza, the situation for people living there is terrible. People are facing severe shortages of food and clean water, as well as medicine. Most of Gaza’s population of
2.2 million people have left their homes to avoid fighting. In recent weeks, only small amounts of aid have reached people in Gaza. Aid groups say this is because of fighting, damaged roads and Israel restricting lorries carrying aid. Israel denies this.
The current war dates back to 7 October 2023, when a long-running conflict between Israel and Hamas (a political and military group that is classed as a terrorist organisation by the UK) got much worse. Hamas attacked Israel, and Israel responded by launching military operations in Gaza.
How will the pier work?
The pier will branch out into the Mediterranean Sea. Ships can use it to unload supplies, which can then be transported to people in Gaza. It is an essential step for aid to be delivered by ship because Gaza does not have a working port and the water along its coast is too shallow for large boats. The US expects the pier to take several weeks to build, with the help of 1,000 soldiers.
What other aid is being provided?
Action is being taken to help people in Gaza in lots of different ways. On 11 March, Italy launched its Food for programme. Politician Antonio Tajani said it would help aid groups and the Italian government work together to help people in Gaza. Italy is one of many countries that have sent aid to Gaza since 7 October. In Turkey, a ship carrying 3,000 tonnes of supplies departed on 7 March. The shipment was organised by the Turkish Red Crescent, an aid organisation. On 12 March, another aid shipment left Cyprus (see panel above). On 13 March, Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said the country’s air force would begin dropping aid into Gaza.
What have people said?
On 8 March, US president Joe Biden said, “I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.” On 12 March, the president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, said the ship leaving Cyprus with aid was a journey “of hope and humanity” and “a lifeline to civilians”.