US will store aid on secure beach in Gaza as UN pauses distribution from pier
https://apnews.com/article/us-pier-humanitarian-aid-gaza-israel-war-9fcba9b89df3bdfa3acf16f92565ad97
US will store aid on secure beach in Gaza as UN pauses distribution from pier
BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER, EDITH M. LEDERER AND LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated 5:20 PM EDT, June 10, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. military said Monday that it plans to stockpile aid shipments on a secure beach in Gaza during a U.N. pause on distributing food from the American-built pier after one of the deadliest days of the Israel-Hamas war.
The U.N. World Food Program, which works with U.S. officials to transfer desperately needed aid from the month-old pier to warehouses and local relief teams in Gaza, tweeted Monday that the U.N. would conduct a security review to assess the safety of its staff in handling aid deliveries from the pier. It said the pause would be temporary.
A humanitarian official familiar with the situation said the security review is expected to conclude within a few days and U.N. officials would then make decisions on resuming operations. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning.
The pause, which WFP head Cindy McCain first announced in a TV interview Sunday, is the latest trouble to hit the Biden administrations new sea route for bringing in aid to Palestinians. It also signals sharpened concern by the U.N. and relief organizations about their ability to safely care for Gazas civilians during the eight-month-old war.
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Lederer reported from the United Nations.