MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

RFA Cardigan Bay in crucial support task to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians

“The crew of RFA Cardigan Bay are central to the UK's contribution to the multinational plan to greatly expand the flow of aid into Gaza”

UK Forces.net has reported that a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel will provide accommodation to hundreds of American soldiers and sailors in the eastern Mediterranean who are helping to deliver aid to Gaza. The US military has started the construction of a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of vital humanitarian aid.

RFA Cardigan Bay is sailing from Cyprus to help support the international effort to build the pier which is set to be completed early next month.

The pier will initially support the delivery of approximately 90 truckloads of international aid, with plans to increase capacity to 150 truckloads once fully operational.

“It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and our international allies and partners,” Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said.

“The crew of RFA Cardigan Bay are central to the UK's contribution to the multinational plan to greatly expand the flow of aid into Gaza.

”This will complement the priority of getting more aid in via land routes and Ashdod port in Israel, by enabling tens of thousands of tons to be delivered directly from the sea onto the beach.“

The use of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship means US forces can support the aid effort without having to put US boots on the ground.

RFA Cardigan Bay is a large landing ship dock that is designed to quickly offload troops and their equipment either using landing craft or from her large flight deck.

Cardigan Bay had spent four years on a mission in the Gulf before providing security cover for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022. Cardigan Bay's sister ship RFA Lyme Bay delivered the UK's first maritime shipment of aid for Gaza in January.

The 87 tons of life-saving aid supplies, which included thermal blankets, shelter packs and medical supplies, were delivered to Gaza via Cyprus.

Due to its proximity to Gaza and its hosting of both British sovereign and US bases, the aid delivered via the US-built pier will also transit through Cyprus.

For several weeks, specialist British military planning teams have been helping to work out the safest and most effective maritime route. They have been embedded with the US operational HQ in Tampa, Florida, and in Cyprus.

The US construction project involves the assembly of an approximately 1,800-foot causeway, known as a Trident Pier, along with a roll-on, roll-off discharge facility situated about three miles off Gaza's coast.

”The effort to deliver humanitarian assistance from the sea is fully supported by the Israeli Defense Force with whom we have been and will continue to work very closely from fixing the JLOTS [Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability] pier to the shore to providing force protection,” said a senior US defense official.

Once fully operational the pier is expected to be able to deliver enough supplies to feed the 2.3 million population of Gaza.