Aid Challenges at Gaza's Reconnected US-Built Pier

The reconnected US-built pier off Gaza's coast falls short in delivering adequate aid, underscoring the need for land routes, says Dr. Hanan Balkhy of WHO. Israeli military actions and border crossings remain significant obstacles, with dire conditions in Gaza marked by civilian casualties, displacement, and health crises.

The reconnected US-built pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip cannot supply Palestinians with the level of aid they desperately need, according to Dr. Hanan Balkhy, head of the World Health Organisation's Eastern Mediterranean region. ''The pier has supported a little bit, but it's not to the scale that is needed by any stretch of the imagination,” Balkhy told the Associated Press.

After the US military resumed aid deliveries through the floating pier—despite rough seas forcing its removal twice—concerns persist. WHO emphasizes the importance of land routes to efficiently deliver the required aid quantities. Since Israel launched its ground operation in Rafah, aid delivery has plummeted by 67%, leaving over 50 WHO trucks stranded on the Egyptian side, with only three trucks permitted through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Israel asserts it has enabled hundreds of truckloads of aid, accusing the UN of not retrieving it, while the UN cites security risks in the volatile area. The ongoing nine-month war against Hamas has sparked increasing international criticism due to Gaza's extensive destruction and significant civilian casualties. Aid groups criticize the sea-based aid plan as ineffective, urging a focus on land border crossings for larger aid deliveries.

The Israeli military's offensives following Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 have resulted in over 37,600 deaths and 86,000 injuries, displacing 1.3 million people in central Gaza. Despite some aid reaching northern Gaza, experts warn of imminent famine risks. Hospitals grapple with fuel shortages, medicine scarcity, and sheltering displaced Palestinians, raising concerns about spreading infectious diseases.

Deliveries through Gaza's land border crossings remain challenging, particularly at the Rafah crossing seized by Israeli troops in May. WHO has faced difficulties evacuating 10,000 patients in urgent need of treatment abroad, with its last aid dispatch reaching Kamal Adwan and Al Awda hospitals in northern Gaza. ''Almost everything is being prohibited,'' Balkhy stated, highlighting severe hospital conditions, poor living standards, and significant malnutrition, ripe for spreading infectious diseases.

“We're talking about larger numbers of children and patients with scabies, diarrhea, lice, and unknown rashes,” Balkhy warned. “Every time there's a lack of hygiene, infectious diseases caused by pathogens start to flourish.''