President Joe Biden’s decision to order the construction of a temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza earlier this year faced some challenges, according to a recent report from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The $230 million military-run project, known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system, was intended to provide aid to the Palestinian territory besieged by conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, the project faced various challenges, including weather and security issues, resulting in aid organizations withdrawing from the initiative.

Despite these setbacks, the Biden administration aimed to use the pier to provide food for 1.5 million people in Gaza for 90 days. Unfortunately, the project fell short of this goal, feeding only about 450,000 people for a month before shutting down.

While the project faced criticism for diverting attention from more efficient land routes for delivering aid, a U.S. National Security Council spokesman emphasized the impact the pier had in providing essential aid to the people of Gaza.

In addition, a watchdog report highlighted discrepancies in the U.S.’s commitments regarding the location of the pier and security arrangements. Ultimately, Israel’s military had to step in to provide security after the U.S. military was unable to find a neutral country for this task.

Despite these challenges, the U.S. official defended the project, stating that additional staffing and resources were allocated to ensure that both the pier and land routes were addressed simultaneously.

Overall, the efforts to deliver aid to Gaza underscore the complexities and challenges involved in humanitarian assistance in conflict zones.

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