Cyprus announces US aid pier in Gaza is again functioning

By AP 20 June 2024, 4:59 pm

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The image provided by US Central Command shows American and Israeli forces placing the Trident Pier on the coast of Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. (US Central Command via AP)

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus’ Foreign Ministry says the US military-built pier in Gaza is up and running again after being detached for a second time last week because of rough seas.

Cyprus plays a key role in the pier because a security and inspection station it built screens the international aid destined for Gaza. There is no immediate confirmation from the US.

Theodoris Gotsis, a spokesperson for the Cypriot foreign ministry, says the pier and the causeway in Gaza are both functioning. He says over the past 40 days, Cyprus has screened and loaded onto boats some 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza.

The US military detached the causeway last week to prevent it from breaking apart again, as it did late last month when it was hit by bad weather.

The pier, used to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza, has faced a number of setbacks since it was erected. It was operational for only about a week when it was blown apart by high winds in May and then removed again earlier this month.

The UN’s World Food Programme, one of the main aid agencies to make use of the pier, had paused its distribution of aid coming from it earlier this month over security concerns. WFP cannot immediately be reached for comment on whether it’s resuming distribution.