Jordan Times
Thursday, January 8, 2009
More aid sent to Gaza
By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - A new aid convoy carrying 154 tonnes of medical and food assistance
crossed the King Hussein Bridge and headed to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, a
Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) official said yesterday.
The 10-truck convoy, which included a specially equipped truck containing 1,000
blood and 1,000 plasma units, comes within a series of support efforts by the
Kingdom at the governmental and popular levels and in continuation of the aid
bridge to Palestinians suffering under the Israeli onslaught, JHCO Assistant
Secretary General Rajab Zbeidah told The Jordan Times yesterday.
Upon His Majesty King Abdullah's directives, the medical and food assistance
will continue to flow to the Palestinian territories until further notice, he
added.
Meanwhile, JHCO Spokesperson Mohammad Kilani said medics in Gaza informed the
organisation that their blood storage capacity is limited to 1,500 units, adding
that hospitals in the besieged enclave desperately need additional refrigerators
for storing blood.
According to Kilani, Tuesday's 10-truck convoy made it into the Gaza Strip after
intensive efforts by all concerned parties.
Moreover, he said the JHCO will double or triple the number of trucks if a
ceasefire is reached and urged the public and charity societies to intensify
their fundraising and in-kind donation campaigns to assist the organisation in
its humanitarian duties.
"We expect to receive 10 to 12 trucks loaded with medicine and other items
donated by UAE citizens and expatriates," Kilani told The Jordan Times, adding
that the JHCO received around 23 tonnes of medical aid from the Iraq government
and people on Tuesday.
"We are in the process of packaging these items in order to send them to Gaza as
soon as possible," he added.
In the meantime, public support is gaining momentum for Gazans, who have been
facing Israeli aggression since December 27 which has claimed the lives of more
than 700 Palestinians and injured around 3,000.
The Arab Orphans Association has donated JD100,000 for the Gazan people,
according to its president, Tayseer Kanaan, who said the funds will be
distributed in Gaza through its office in the enclave.
For their part, the Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA) on Wednesday gave
the JHCO JD50,000 as urgent cash assistance to help the organisation carry out
its humanitarian mission, according to DPA officials who said the funds were
raised during a campaign launched by refugee camps in the Kingdom to support
their brothers in the Palestinian territories.
Residents of the northern Governorate of Irbid have donated 1,598 blood units
since the Gaza support campaign was launched.
Meanwhile, the Greater Amman Municipality's (GAM) "Kolna Ahel" (we are all
family) campaign, launched earlier last week, continued touring various parts of
the city collecting donations from the public.
Earlier this week, GAM staff donated JD66,000 for the Gazan people by deducting
JD3 from each employee's salary.