The United Nations has warned that more than 500,000 people in Gaza are at risk of famine, and the U.S. military has sent a ship to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The General Frank S. Besson set sail from a military base in Virginia on Saturday, carrying equipment to build a temporary dock on the enclave’s coast.

Earlier, President Joe Biden said the United States would build floating ports to help deliver aid to Gaza by sea amid the dire situation where civilians are in need of vital food and aid.

The United Nations has warned that famine in Gaza is “almost inevitable” and that at least 576,000 people face severe food insecurity.

Delivering aid by land and air has proven difficult – the World Food Program recently had to suspend land deliveries after its convoys came under fire and looting.

On Friday, reports emerged that five people were killed when a parachute failed to open properly when a rescue package fell.

U.S. Central Command wrote on X that the U.S. ship departed “less than 36 hours” after Biden’s announcement.

It was “bringing the first batch of equipment to establish a temporary terminal to deliver vital humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” the statement continued.

The Pentagon said it could take up to 60 days to build the dock with the help of 1,000 troops – none of whom will come ashore – but charities and aid groups warned Gazans not to wait that long.

Israel is forced to expand land transport by facilitating more routes and opening more crossing points.

Trucks have entered southern Gaza through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

But aid has been largely cut off in the north in recent months – even though an estimated 300,000 Palestinians live there with little food or clean water.

An aid ship carrying about 200 tons of food was still waiting for permission to sail from Cyprus on Sunday morning.

The vessel, called Open Arms, is expected to set sail by Monday, following the EU’s announcement over the weekend that a new sea route would be opened to allow aid to sail directly from Cyprus.

The ship belongs to Open Arms, a Spanish charity of the same name, and the food on board is provided by World Central Kitchen, an American charity.

It’s unclear how aid shipped by sea will reach shore safely until the U.S. terminal is built — Gaza has no functioning port and its surrounding waters are too shallow to accommodate large ships.

Israel welcomed the maritime initiative and said it would provide assistance after security checks in Cyprus “in accordance with Israeli standards”.

The news comes amid renewed concerns about a resurgence of violence during Ramadan, especially in Jerusalem.

Hamas has renewed its call for Palestinians to increase visits to the Askar mosque, with Israel accusing the group of “trying to set fire to the area during Ramadan”.

The third holiest site in Islam is a place of worship for local Muslims.

But the site – which is also Judaism’s holiest site, known as the Temple Mount – has often been a flashpoint during the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.