By Phil Stewart
GABORONE (Reuters) – The U.S. military’s pier at Gaza could be extended well beyond the July 31 approval date if the United States and aid agencies can resume aid flowing to the Palestinians in the coming days and weeks, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday .
“Although the pier was authorized through July 31, I think it is entirely possible that it will remain in place for at least another month, if not longer,” said Isobel Coleman, deputy administrator for policy and programming at the United States Agency for International Development. .
US President Joe Biden announced in March the plan to build the pier for aid deliveries as famine loomed in Gaza, a Hamas-run enclave of 2.3 million, during the war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Aid arrived through the US-built pier on May 17 and the UN said it had transported 137 trucks of aid to warehouses, some 900 tonnes.
But then rough seas damaged the pier, requiring repairs. Poor weather conditions and safety concerns have limited the number of days the pier has been operational and aid has flowed from the coasts to Gaza residents.
Pentagon officials have warned that the seas could become too rough for the floating pier after the summer.
“I understand there are some weather-related issues in the fall that will mean a hard stop for the pier,” Coleman said while attending an African security conference in Botswana.
“But before that happens, if we can get the pier operational again and (if) it is an effective channel for aid to Gaza, I think we will find a way to move the pier beyond the July 31 authorization .”
The U.S. military estimates that the pier will cost more than $200 million in the first 90 days alone and will involve approximately 1,000 military personnel. No estimate has been given of the costs for expanding activities.
Although the U.S. military’s pier has allowed international aid to be brought ashore, aid has been piled up in a staging area in recent days due to security concerns rather than being moved to Gaza. It’s not clear how much more aid can be stored in the staging area before it becomes too full.
Coleman said the United Nations was seeking guarantees for the safety of humanitarian workers before resuming aid.
“That’s the part that’s the most complicated right now. And you’ve seen some very credible threats in the north, where that (pier) aid should be going,” she said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Graff)
