By Roger Fowler
The ambulance sponsored by Freedom Flotilla Coalition campaigns on the international Miles of Smiles solidarity convoy is now busy serving the needs of disabled patients in Gaza.
The specially fitted ambulance has been assigned to the Outreach program of the Benevolent Society for Disabled People to transport patients to and from rehabilitation and medical services throughout the Gaza Strip.
The Benevolent Society has produced this short video (below) showing the ambulance at work.
During a recent handover ceremony in Gaza the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was presented with an appreciation certificate, which was received on behalf of FFC by Enas Ghannam from We Are Not Numbers – one of FFC’s partner organizations in Gaza.
At the awards ceremony, Dr. Ghazi Hamad, Gaza deputy minister of the ministry of development said that “a lot of efforts were made to get this aid convoy in.”
“Many associations were contacted to help in cultivating and allowing these ambulances into Gaza,” Dr. Hamad added.
“You will all be mentioned in Palestinian history as the people who supported our steadfastness. We hope that you continue to be supportive of our cause always and forever. You will always be remembered every time an ambulance moves to save a life. Thank you,” he concluded
Abdullah Al-Hajjar, from the International Medical Relief Society MDEX in Palestine and the media spokesman for the medical aid convoy in the Gaza Strip, explained that the convoy of 37 new fully-equipped ambulances eventuated as a response to Israel’s “direct targeting of medical staff and damage medical aids that offer health services” during their May 2021 offensive.
“There was a campaign by colleagues in the International Medical Relief Association MDEX Turkey (Medics Worldwide) to cooperate and partner with Miles of Smiles to prepare a huge medical aid convoy.”
“There were positive and effective responses from over eleven countries including USA, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Indonesia, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey and many countries that responded to this [call for] humanitarian relief and towards facilitating this convoy,” Al-Hajjar added.
Al-Hajjar also thanked colleagues in Egypt “for their efforts to overcome all obstacles and difficulties and to allow us the opportunity to enter this convoy [into Gaza] to enhance the work of the health sector system in Palestine.”
He expected this convoy to have “a great impact on the Gazan citizens to alleviate suffering and mitigate the effects of the negative siege that [has been] imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 15 years.”
Noura Barzek from Adara International Relief Foundation Indonesia said that “this convoy is represented by many countries of the world in support of the Palestinian people after Israel’s last war on Gaza, which targeted ambulances.”
“We hope that the world will also stand, like the partners in this convoy, to serve the Palestinian people and to continue and intensify efforts to build the support, God willing,” she concluded
Photo Credit: Medics Worldwide, Benevolent Society for Disabled People (Gaza), Supplied
Video Credit: Media Team Benevolent Society for Disabled People (Gaza)
– Roger Fowler is the coordinator of Kia Ora Gaza (Aotearoa New Zealand), a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Website: kiaoragaza.net He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
