Pentagon, USAID to conduct IG reviews of troubled Gaza relief operation

U.S. humanitarian relief support for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip will be the focus of coordinated reviews from the inspectors general of the Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the agencies said Thursday in a joint announcement.

The Pentagon’s independent IG will assess the effectiveness of the Army-built temporary floating pier intended to deliver large quantities of humanitarian aid from ship to shore by truck. Deliveries have been hampered by rough seas that have put the pier out of operation for extended periods in recent weeks.

The USAID inspector general will evaluate the handover from the Defense Department-controlled maritime pier to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the lead partner for the aid distribution into Gaza, officials said.

Paul K. Martin, the USAID inspector general, pledged an “independent and aggressive oversight of USAID-funded humanitarian assistance programming in Gaza. This initial review, in coordination with [Defense Department] OIG, will provide timely insight and transparency over the delivery of assistance via the maritime corridor.”

The joint IG reviews mirror the agreements between the Pentagon and USAID that established the roles and responsibilities of both agencies in delivering U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza through the maritime corridor, said Defense Department Inspector General Robert P. Storch.

The floating pier, known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS), has faced several setbacks since it became operational on May 17, including shutdowns and damages caused by the weather and rough seas. The troubles have come as the humanitarian crisis in the dense Palestinian enclave has deepened as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas militants and international aid officials warn of emerging famine conditions in part of the territory.

Despite the challenges, Pentagon officials said JLOTS has helped deliver more than 9.1 million pounds of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Last week, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, called JLOTS “part of the broader international effort to surge humanitarian assistance to Gaza to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian people.”