Viva Palestina Convoy at the Final Hurdle
05/01/10
Having been on the road for over a month, the Viva Palestina humanitarian aid convoy has finally gained entry into Egypt at the port of Al-Arish, just forty miles from the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
There has been no shortage of drama for the 550 people participating in the convoy since Egyptian authorities refused entry to the port of Nuweiba on December 24.
Undaunted, the convoy then travelled to the Syrian port of Latakia, where cargo ships were chartered to the northern Egyptian port at Al-Arish. Most members of the convoy flew from Latakia to Al-Arish, but passengers on the first airplane had their passports seized by Egyptian authorities and were ordered to travel immediately to Gaza, abandoning their comrades on three other flights.
The 150 convoy members who were the first to land staged a protest against this in the airport, and were eventually successful as their passports were returned and they were allowed to wait on the other 400, who arrived this morning [Tuesday].
They were then reunited with their vehicles at the port and hoped to return to the road for the final 40-mile stretch to Rafah and then into Gaza. However, they have been held up again by authorities and have been warned to expect serious negotiations and a “battle” at the Palestinian border.
Egypt has opened the Rafah border gate for four days, from Sunday until tomorrow [January 3-6]. Over 1,000 people have crossed the border both ways so far, mostly students and people entering Egypt to seek medical aid. Border controls remain strict and, considering the attitude of the Egyptian government so far, convoys are not optimistic about how they will be treated.
The Viva Palestina convoy should have reached Gaza a fortnight ago, now it hopes to reach the besieged Palestinian region tomorrow [Wednesday] at the latest. The intransigence of the Egyptian government has greatly increased the cost of this international mission of solidarity and humanitarianism and alleviated the pressure on Israel, the ones ultimately responsible for the crime that is the siege of Gaza.
An emergency appeal has been started to help meet the convoy’s spiralling expenses; anyone who can afford to is asked to contribute. For more on this, go to: www.vivapalestina.org/emergency.htm