Biden's Temporary Pier for Gaza Aid Faces Setbacks

President Joe Biden's order to construct a temporary pier for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza faced significant challenges. The project, aimed at feeding 1.5 million Gazans for 90 days, was plagued by weather and security issues, leading to its premature termination. USAID officials expressed concerns over the pier's efficiency compared to land crossings.

President Joe Biden's order for a temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has faced numerous challenges. The project, highlighted during Biden's State of the Union address, aimed to hasten aid delivery amid the Gaza conflict but encountered substantial setbacks.

The $230 million Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system, or JLOTS, operated for only about 20 days before humanitarian groups withdrew by July due to weather and security issues. USAID staffers had earlier voiced concerns about relying on the temporary pier, fearing it would detract from efforts to open more efficient land crossings into Gaza.

Despite the setbacks, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett emphasized the pier's importance in delivering aid to starving Gazans. However, the project failed to meet its goal, feeding only 450,000 people for a month, far short of the intended 1.5 million for 90 days.

(With inputs from agencies.)