Jordan Times
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Aid convoy arrives in West Bank
AMMAN (Petra) - A Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) aid convoy
carrying foodstuffs and other items arrived yesterday in the West Bank, en route
to impoverished residents in the Gaza Strip.
The 23-truck convoy, dispatched on Tuesday upon the directives of His Majesty
King Abdullah, is an attempt to alleviate the suffering of residents of the Gaza
Strip suffering from an Israeli economic siege.
The Israeli government has restricted access to Gaza to only basic essential
humanitarian aid, causing a shortage in food supplies. The humanitarian
situation has worsened since fuel shipments provided by Israel were decreased
dramatically, affecting hospitals and hindering healthcare in the territory.
According to JHCO Secretary General Abdul Salam Abbadi, 18 of the convoy trucks
are carrying 250,000 tonnes of foodstuff while the remaining five trucks are
loaded with clothes, footwear and detergents.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza will distribute the aid to needy
citizens, according to Yahya Qaralleh, head of Jordan’s representation office to
the Palestinian Authority.
JHCO has dispatched a total of 233 aid convoys to Gaza and the West Bank as part
of its continued efforts to deliver Jordanian aid and assistance from other
organisations to the Palestinian people.
Over the past three years, JHCO dispatched around JD53 million worth of
humanitarian assistance to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, His Majesty King Abdullah urged concerned authorities and
Jordanian hospitals to facilitate the treatment of several patients from the
Gaza Strip who are suffering from deteriorating health conditions.
The gesture came in light of the critical shortage in equipment and medicine in
Gaza hospitals.
Palestinian Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli commended King Abdullah’s
support for the Palestinian people, noting that the aid shipment will help them
cope with acute shortages in basic commodities.
Since its establishment in 1990, JHCO has operated in more than 40 countries
around the world, providing relief and humanitarian assistance. Its prime
objectives are to assist Arab and Muslim communities worldwide in combating
poverty and disease in addition to promoting Arab and Muslim culture around the
world.