President Joe Biden has officially declared the $230 million Gaza pier project a failure.
According to Breitbart, the ambitious plan, meant to facilitate aid delivery from Cyprus to Gaza, faced insurmountable challenges, leading to its discontinuation.
The initiative, highlighted during President Biden's State of the Union address in March, saw the construction of a temporary pier intended to streamline aid distribution to the conflict-stricken Gaza Strip.
This effort engaged over a thousand U.S. troops, primarily dispatched from Virginia, which underscores the significant investment in manpower alongside the financial outlay.
Operational from May 17, the pier quickly encountered formidable natural forces. Within just over a week, it suffered damage from potent sea waves, ultimately failing to withstand conditions it was not designed for. Naval experts criticized the location of the pier, pointing out its vulnerability in the open sea where waves surpassed four feet.
Not only did the construction face natural adversities, but security concerns also plagued the operation. According to reports, the pier was subjected to daily attacks including gunfire and mortar shells. This created a hazardous environment for the troops involved, complicating efforts to manage and maintain the structure.
Repair attempts were recurrent yet futile. The Pentagon even revised the project's cost, initially pegged at $320 million, down to $230 million, reflecting perhaps the scale of resources wasted.
Here is a reflection from President Joe Biden on the project’s outcome, “I’ve been disappointed that some of the things that I’ve put forward have not succeeded as well, like the port we attached from Cyprus. I was hopeful that would be more successful.”
The pier's operational span was cut short, lasting about 20 days in total, during which it managed to deliver merely a single day’s worth of food aid — a stark contrast to the initial projections. Frequent injuries among troops, exemplified by a critical incident involving a soldier and a forklift, further underscored the project’s risks. The soldier was subsequently sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.
The decision to dismantle the pier was reported on July 10, following unsuccessful attempts to reattach it earlier in the week. Most of the aid intended for Gaza remained either in Cyprus or at distribution points within Gaza itself, far from its intended recipients.
Here is a critique from a naval expert on the pier’s strategic flaws, “Naval experts say that the pier — which was known as a Joint Logistics Over the Shore system (JLOTS) — was never meant to be constructed in an open sea, as it could not handle waves larger than four feet,”
The failure of this ambitious project illuminates the complexities and unpredictabilities of delivering humanitarian aid to conflict zones. The significant financial, human, and material resources allocated highlight the high stakes involved in such international aid efforts. The ordeal of the Gaza Pier not only challenged technological and operational planning but also exposed the acute vulnerability of aid delivery in unstable regions.
Despite this setback, ongoing discussions and revisions are expected as the administration seeks ways to effectively support Gaza without compromising safety and efficiency. The lesson from the Gaza Pier project will likely inform future U.S. administrations on the limitations and considerations necessary when undertaking large-scale humanitarian efforts under hostile conditions.
