(VitalNews.org) – Trucks that are carrying aid for Gaza have just passed over the U.S. pier, marking the first time that aid is being sent to Gaza via this route.
The shipment is part of an American military operation and is expected to be scaled to one hundred and fifty truckloads every single day. The initial delivery included “more than 300 pallets of aid” which had been given to the U.N. for distribution, according to John Kirby, the National Security Council Spokesman.
The pier project was beneficial and a great way to get deliveries and aid, but the U.N., U.S., and even aid groups said that there was a need for land deliveries that could bring fuel, food, and water to the Gaza Strip. They compared the deliveries to those prior to the war when they were receiving over five hundred deliveries daily.
The process is also at risk of a military attack, shortage of fuel and aid trucks, as well as logistic issues. They have suffered substantially from a lack of supplies and aid since the attacks started in October due to Israeli forces blocking aid from Gaza.
Aid agencies have spoken out saying that they are running out of food for Southern Gaza and Northern Gaza is already facing hunger. The Pentagon stated that they didn’t expect any backups in the process at all and that the United Nations would take over the aid through the World Food Program.
The U.K. said that some of their aid was in the first shipment to Gaza and it included items like tents, shelter kits, forklift trucks, and hygiene kits.
“This is the culmination of a Herculean joint international effort. We know the maritime route is not the only answer,” said U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “We need to see more land routes open, including via the Rafah crossing, to ensure much more aid gets safely to civilians in desperate need of help.”
There have been conflicting views on the program as some say that they will accept any aid they can, but others have stated that the pier is taking attention away from the real issue and the goal of the deliveries.
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