By Phil Stewart
GABORONE (Reuters) – The U.S. military pier off Gaza could be extended well beyond its July 31 authorization date if the United States and aid organizations can get aid flowing again to the Palestinians in the coming days and weeks, a senior US official said on Tuesday.
“Although the pier has been authorized until July 31, I think it is entirely possible that it will continue 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 set up the pier for aid deliveries as famine loomed in Gaza, an enclave of 2.3 million people run by Hamas, during the war between Israel and the militants. Palestinians.
Aid began arriving via the US-built pier on May 17, and the UN said it transported 137 trucks of aid to warehouses, about 900 metric tons.
But then rough seas damaged the pier, forcing repairs, and poor weather conditions and safety considerations limited the number of days the pier was operational and aid flowed from its shores to Gazans.
Pentagon officials have warned that the sea could be too rough for the floating dock after the summer.
“I understand there are some weather-related issues in the fall that will make the dock difficult,” Coleman said while attending an African security conference in Botswana.
“But before that, if we can get the pier back up and running and (if) it is being an effective conduit for aid to Gaza, I think we will find a way to keep it running beyond the July 31 authorization.”
The U.S. military estimates the pier will cost more than $200 million in just the first 90 days and involved about 1,000 military personnel. No estimate was provided for the cost of extending its operations.
Although the US military dock has allowed international aid to be brought ashore, due to security concerns aid has been accumulating in recent days in a marshalling area rather than being transferred to Gaza. It is unclear how much more aid can be stored in the triage area before it becomes too full.
Coleman said the United Nations was seeking assurances for the safety of aid workers before resuming aid.
“That’s the trickiest part right now. And we’ve seen some very credible threats in the north, where (pier) aid is supposed to go,” she said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Graff)
