Biden’s Gaza pier mission fell short, left troops injured: Watchdog

An overseas operation costing the U.S. nearly $230 million also resulted in dozens of service members being injured, according to a new Watchdog report

Former President Joe Biden's plan to use a floating pier in Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance was announced in his State of the Union address in March of 2024

I'm directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary

pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food

water, medicine and temporary shelters. Following Biden's announcement, U.S. troops were deployed

to support a delivery mission that was planned to last three months but ended after only 20 days

A new report from the Defense Department's Inspector General says rough seas and bad

weather made the operation ineffective. The report released May 2nd reveals 62 service members were

injured, a higher number than previously disclosed. However, investigators couldn't confirm whether the

injuries happened while troops were building the pier due to medical conditions or during off-duty

hours Among the dozens injured was an Army sergeant who died after an accident aboard a Navy ship during the mission The report says both the Army and Navy were not prepared to handle the massive endeavor this mission required saying quote nor did they organize train

and equip their forces to meet common joint standards. Congress and GOP leaders were against

Biden's plan at the time, saying he was caving from the pressure to bring more aid to Palestinians

Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza because they say Hamas is stealing the supplies and using

it for their forces as opposed for civilians. UNICEF says children and other civilians unable

to escape the conflict face lack of access to vaccines and medication, clean water and food

On Tuesday, the organization says all parties to the conflict must allow humanitarian assistance

as kids are being pushed to the brink after more than 18 months of war

The U.S. Agency for International Development released a report in 2024 after the operation

ended. According to USAID, the mission fell short of the original goal to feed 1.5 million people

over the course of three months. Instead, it delivered enough aid to feed 450,000 people

for just one month. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. Find more unbiased

fact-based news right now on SAN.com or by downloading the Straight Arrow News mobile app