Operations

US humanitarian aid to Gaza reaches civilians in need

2024-05-07

To date, the United States has airdropped nearly 1,170 tons of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

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Construction of the floating JLOTS pier in the Mediterranean is under way. [CENTCOM]
Construction of the floating JLOTS pier in the Mediterranean is under way. [CENTCOM]

The US military carried out its latest humanitarian assistance airdrop on Sunday (May 5), US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

Two C-130 US Air Force aircraft carried out the joint operation, dropping over 25,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) into northern Gaza.

To date, the United States has airdropped nearly 1,170 tons of humanitarian assistance as part of its multifaceted approach to helping civilians in Gaza by air, sea and land.

The success of the airdrops stems in part from Gazans' compliance with the delivery procedures put in place by US military personnel who are delivering the aid and ensuring the safety of civilians receiving it.

To reach Gaza by sea, the US Army is constructing a temporary floating pier as part of the US military's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability.

Construction of the pier moved on May 3 to the Israeli port of Ashdod, about 29km northeast of the Gazan border, because of high sea swells and elevated wind conditions, CENTCOM said in a statement.

While in Ashdod, pier "assembly will continue and will be completed prior to the emplacement of the pier in its intended location" when conditions improve, it said.

The floating pier, an approximately 550-meter-long causeway that will be attached to the shore, enables the delivery of large quantities of humanitarian aid from ship to shore by truck, with vehicles driving directly off ships and across the temporary pier to a marshaling yard ashore.

"The US military's unique JLOTS capability provides an essential logistics enabler for the multinational effort to increase the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza by all routes," CENTCOM said.

Initially, officials anticipate the pier will facilitate the delivery of about 90 daily truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to the US Department of Defense.

Once fully operational, that number should increase to roughly 150 truckloads, or close to 2 million meals per day.

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