Posted on 08/28/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
US President Joe Biden ignored concerns and opposition by officials in his government to the plan to erect a floating pier to deliver humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, an official US government report found.
The report, published this week by the Inspector General of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), sought to evaluate the efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza through the maritime corridor (known professionally as JLOTS), which cost an estimated $230 million and only operated for 20 days.
The report stated that "external factors" impaired USAID’s efforts to distribute humanitarian assistance to Gaza through JLOTS.
Among those external factors, were the security requirements imposed by the US Department of Defense to protect US military personnel working on the pier to which USAID and WFP had to adjust their plans.
The report notes that multiple USAID staff expressed concerns that the Biden administration's focus on using JLOTS would detract from the agency’s pressure on Israel to open land crossings, which were seen as more efficient and proven methods of transporting aid into Gaza. It also states that officials warned that rough waves could pose significant challenges.
The agency Inspector General adds: "However, once the President issued the directive, the Agency’s focus was to use JLOTS as effectively as possible."
The report states that rough seas ultimately cut the operation short and USAID fell short of its goal of supplying aid to 500,000 or more Gazans each month for 3 months and instead delivered enough aid to feed 450,000 for 1 month.