The director of the U.N. World Food Program announced on Sunday that the program has temporarily halted its distribution of humanitarian aid from an American-built pier off Gaza. This decision was made due to concerns about the safety of their personnel following a deadly day in the region.
On Saturday, an Israeli military operation resulted in the deaths of 274 Palestinians, one Israeli commando, and the successful rescue of four hostages. Additionally, two of the WFP's warehouses in Gaza were reportedly targeted by rockets, resulting in an injury to a staff member.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) described the pause as a precautionary measure to allow for a security review by the humanitarian community in Gaza. The U.S.-operated pier, which had recently resumed operations after storm damage, was intended to facilitate the delivery of food and aid to the people of Gaza.
While the exact duration of the pause was not specified, WFP spokespeople did not provide further details. Cindy McCain, speaking on behalf of the WFP, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of their personnel before resuming operations at the pier.
President Joe Biden had directed the U.S. military to establish the temporary pier in March to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza. The pier project aimed to provide essential aid to alleviate the dire situation faced by a significant portion of Gaza's population.
Despite the recent challenges, humanitarian organizations are working to ensure the safe and effective resumption of aid distribution in Gaza. The need for a cease-fire was underscored by McCain, who highlighted the importance of unimpeded aid flow to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region.
It is crucial for aid operations to remain independent of military activities in conflict zones to safeguard the integrity and safety of humanitarian efforts. Both the WFP and USAID reiterated that their personnel were not involved in the Israeli military operation that took place near the pier.
Efforts are underway to assess the security situation and resume aid operations promptly to provide critical assistance to the vulnerable populations in Gaza.
