'Who is going to distribute it?': the key flaw in US's plan to build aid port in Gaza

[Eugene]

Earlier DU thread: Biden to announce construction of temporary port on Gaza coast for humanitarian aid

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Source: The Guardian

‘Who is going to distribute it?’: the key flaw in US’s plan to build aid port in Gaza

‘You need drivers, trucks and a distribution system that doesn’t exist,’ says president of Refugees International aid advocacy group

Julian Borger in Washington
Fri 8 Mar 2024 00.09 GMT
Last modified on Fri 8 Mar 2024 01.48 GMT

The US plan to build a floating port off the Gaza coast is a bold move, reminiscent of the Mulberry harbours built after D-day in Normandy, but there are serious concerns that what relief it brings will be too little too late for Palestinians facing starvation.

“When we talk about the sea route, it’s going to take weeks to set up and we are talking about a population that is starving now. We have already seen children dying of hunger,” said Ziad Issa, the head of humanitarian policy at the ActionAid charity.

US officials have presented the plan as Washington taking leadership and “not waiting for the Israelis”, but the Israelis will still have a say on how effective it is in delivering aid, especially in the north, where the threat of famine is most imminent.

Israeli inspectors will be in the Cypriot port of Larnaca, scrutinising cargoes of aid going into southern Gaza, and the inspections will provide Israel a tool with which to regulate the flow in the name of security vetting.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/07/gaza-floating-port-aid-palestinians-impact

[JohnSJ]

1. Typical Guardian negativity. I suspect there will be international help.

[LymphocyteLover]

2. I'm sure the administration is working on that. The key worry is getting it done on time

because it seems like there is mass starvation going on and of course Hamas doesn't seem to care

[AloeVera]

3. Very important point in the article:

But let’s also just be realistic about why this is necessary, and it’s necessary because of five months of obstruction of access in the north by the IDF and five months of intentional degradation of humanitarian capacity in the strip,” Konyndyk said. “And frankly the US has tolerated that for five months.”

The problem is not getting aid to Gaza's borders. The problem is the obstruction in getting the aid into Gaza and distribution once inside.

Those are within Israel's control. It's absurd to build a port as a work-around to Israel's obstruction. Without a change to Israel's siege policy and without a distributin system and security, a port is next to useless in the face of this crisis.

[Mosby]

4. Thats not even remotely the issue.

Ask yourself why the US and Jordan are airdropping food and supplies. Ask yourself why Egypt won't open their border with Gaza.

[AloeVera]

5. Holy cow.

I can't even...

[Mosby]

6. What's that supposed to mean?

[AloeVera]

7. Well...

It means I am not going to waste my time.

This kind of post is why I left here for a few weeks.

Life is too short and there are more meaningful and productive things to do.

The problem is not Egypt and you must know that.

[NorthCountryLib]

8. None of Palestine's neighbors trust them

They tried to take over throw Egypt's government. They tried to overthrow Jordan's government. That's the reason no one will take any refugees.
Facts are facts and these are facts.

[AloeVera]

9. And facts can be used as red herrings...

To distract from uncomfortable truths.

That too is a fact.