The United States’ plan to deliver aid to Gaza via a maritime corridor hit a major hurdle this week, as United Nations agencies resisted pressure from Washington to distribute the life-saving goods, citing concerns they could be seen to be collaborating with the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Biden administration has been pressing U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the heads of U.N. agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, to participate in a U.S.- and Israeli-led plan to ratchet up humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
By the end of the month, the U.S. Navy plans to erect a sea bridge, or jetty, in southern Gaza to speed up the delivery of assistance in Gaza, facing famine after six months of intense Israeli restrictions on assistance. The Israel Defense Forces plan to provide a security perimeter around the drop-off point, offload the goods, and hand them off to workers contracted by the U.N. agencies.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
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