From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 8, 2024
UN hails US plan to establish Gaza maritime aid corridor
International focus should be on large-scale distribution and entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, but any way to deliver more aid is “obviously good,” the United Nations says after the US announced plans to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza.
“Any way to get more aid into Gaza, whether by sea or airdrop, is obviously good,” says UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric when asked about the plan for a temporary port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian assistance.
Delivery of aid by land, however, is more cost- and volume-effective, Dujarric says, and “we need more entry points and we need a larger volume of aid to come in by land.”
The UN has warned that at least 576,000 people in Gaza – one-quarter of the population – are on the brink of famine.
Some aid can enter Hamas-run Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and Kerem Shalom from Israel.
Before the conflict, Gaza relied on 500 trucks with supplies entering daily.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
