The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Floating dock aid delivery starts but less viable than land routes, says OCHA
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza have started moving ashore through the temporary floating dock built by the U.S. military, the US Central Command has announced - but this is not enough to meet the needs of civilians in Gaza, says the UN.
The United Nations Coordination Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the maritime corridor cannot replace important land routes, which are the quickest and most effective way of delivering humanitarian assistance.
“Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route,” said Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson to reporters in Geneva. “But it is an addition, and it doesn't take away the fact that land crossings will be more important, he added”.
The floating dock was anchored to a beach in Gaza yesterday, Thursday 16 May. With most border crossings to the enclave closed or unsafe, the temporary floating dock will provide an additional path for aid entering the embattled enclave.
Mr. Laerke said UN agencies are finalizing their readiness plans for handling the aid once the floating dock is properly functioning, keeping in mind the need to ensure the safety of staff. “Community awareness and acceptance is paramount to ensure the safety and security of this operation”, he insisted. “We are grateful for the efforts of Cyprus, supported by other Member States, to sustain this maritime corridor as an additional route for aid to Gaza. However, getting aid to people in need into and across Gaza cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute. Land routes are the most viable, effective and efficient aid delivery method, which is why we need all crossing points to be opened."
Aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip have slowed down since the Israeli military took control of the Rafah crossing last week. About 2.2 million Palestinians desperately need food, shelter and other assistance.
Ends
Story: “Gaza floating dock – OCHA” – 17 May 2024
Soundbites are from Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson.
TRT: 01’31”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 17 May 2024 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva Press briefing
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley
- Wide shot: speakers at the podium of the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson:“Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route. But it is an addition, and it doesn't take away from the fact that land crossings will be more important.”
- Cutaway: wide shot of the press conference room with journalists
- SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson:“We, as the UN, are finalizing our operational plans to make sure that we are ready to handle aid once the floating dock is properly functioning, while ensuring the safety of our staff. Community awareness and acceptance is paramount to ensure the safety and security of this operation. We are grateful for the efforts of Cyprus, supported by other Member States, to sustain this maritime corridor as an additional route for aid to Gaza. However, getting aid to people in need into and across Gaza cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute. Land routes are the most viable, effective and efficient aid delivery method, which is why we need all crossing points to be opened."
- Various shots of the press conference room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gaza: One million receive food parcels as humanitarians race to ‘push back hunger’
Food is slowly returning to the shelves in Gaza amid “apocalyptic scenes” but supplies are still desperately inadequate, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they issued fresh calls for wider access and continued financial support.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Sudan: UN Raises Alarm Over Mass Atrocities in El Fasher as Survivors Report Executions, Killings and Rapes
More details continue to emerge about atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan on 23 October. Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN Human Rights Office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Ukraine: Russian attacks on energy terrorize population as winter starts; could trigger major ‘crisis within crisis’
The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine expressed concern on Friday about “continuous attacks” on energy production sites and distribution facilities.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Navi Pillay Retires After Decades Defending Human Rights and Pursuing Justice
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the UN Geneva press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.