Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Peace Mission To Gaza A Success, Says Mukhriz


CAIRO, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Mission accomplished! Peace Malaysia has handed over a consignment of medical supplies worth RM200,000, to the Palestinians in Gaza.
The medicines -- for distribution to 198 emergency clinics in Gaza -- were handed over to Palestine Hospital director-general Dr Muhammad Zaghlul and Dr Salah A. El Khaldi, of the Palestine Health Ministy in separate functions.
The functions were held at the Palestine Hospital and Shebetah Jadid, Giza, here.
"Our mission has been successful. All the medical supplies and food aid have been handed over for the Palestinians, although for safety reasons, we are unable to enter the Gaza strip," Peace Malaysia coordinator Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir told Bernama.
Peace Malaysia's main mission was to hand over the medical supplies for the 800,000 Palestinians trapped in Gaza, since June last year.
About 85 per cent of the 1.5 million population in Gaza are now relying on foreign aid since the Israeli regime closed all borders in Gaza, cutting off food, medical, water and fuel supplies.
"Most of the emergency clinics in Gaza do not have sufficient medical and food supplies. Sick and injured children and women are not getting appropriate medical treatment. They are suffering," said Dr Muhammad when met at the Palestine Hospital.
Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Munther Ezzidin Al-Dajani, when met at his office, said the contributions handed by Peace Malaysia proved that Malaysia was concerned over the well-being of its brother Muslim countries.
The Peace Malaysia team has been here, since Tuesday, but was not unable to deliver the supplies as planned, as it was advised against entering Gaza for security reasons.
According to Dr Muhammad, the Egyptian authorities disallowed foreigners from entering Gaza for safety reasons following incidents of volunteers and doctors being kidnapped while on humanitarian missions.
Meanwhile, Dr Salah said the medical supplies would be brought into Gaza through Karm Abu Selm, a three-way border between Egypt, Gaza and Israel.
Mukhriz said the Egyptian authorities had set up road blocks at El-Ariesh, about 35km from Rafah and Sinai on the Israeli side, to track down the 2,000 Palestinians refugees who crossed over the border since last month.
At the launch of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 29, Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia, Abd Elaziz Abu Ghoush had said about 700,000 Palestinians became refugees and relied on aid from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The major contributors to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, include Cheras Education Foundation, Cheras Umno, Scomi Foundation, and Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris, on behalf of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, who contributed blankets and toys for the Palestinian children.

tunku : well done AMAN MALAYSIA.

1 comment: