US says a UN agency has agreed to help in distribution of aid to Gaza via sea route

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.N. World Food Program has agreed to help deliver aid for the starving civilians of Gaza once the U.S. military completes a pier for transporting the humanitarian assistance by sea. That’s according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The involvement of the U.N. agency could help resolve one of the major obstacles facing the U.S.-planned project — the reluctance of aid groups to handle on-the-ground distribution of food and other badly needed goods in Gaza. An Israeli military attack April 1 that killed seven aid workers intensified international criticism of Israel for failing to provide security for humanitarian workers. U.S. officials say conditions that would allow the aid to be delivered safely are still being negotiated.