In the Middle East, contentious regional politics can prevent humanitarian aid from being delivered to those who need it most, according to Palestinian rights activist Ralph Loeffler.
Loeffler spoke about his experiences in delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip Feb. 25 in the Anderson Conference Room, hosted by the AU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
Loeffler participated in two humanitarian aid convoys organized by Viva Palestina, a United Kingdom-based charity that delivers humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel has blockaded the Gaza Strip since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Loeffler called the situation catastrophic and equated Gaza to an open-air prison.
Loeffler criticized Egypt for trying to prevent convoys from entering Gaza. Viva Palestina’s United States convoy was supposed to travel from Alexandria, Egypt, through the Rafah Crossing, a major entryway into Gaza.
The Egyptian government delayed the convoy for two weeks and only allowed seven vehicles out of Alexandria. Viva Palestina was only allowed into Gaza for 24 hours, according to Loeffler.
Viva Palestina’s third convoy began Dec. 6, 2009. Loeffler and other activists joined the convoy in Istanbul. Loeffler praised the support of the Turkish government.
“[Turkey] showed a changing in the tide of support for Palestine,” Loeffler said. “That’s a very encouraging thing.”
The Turkish government’s Humanitarian Relief Fund added 150 vehicles to the convoy.
The convoy then left Istanbul for Amman, Jordan. Enthusiastic crowds met them when they drove through towns in Turkey. The activists were often provided with free meals and lodging, according to Loeffler.
“The enthusiasm of the people was amazing,” Loeffler said.
The Syrian government provided the convoy members with accommodations in a five-star hotel, and then donated 47 tons of medical supplies to aid the convoy, according to Loeffler. The Syrian government eased their border crossing restrictions for the convoy.
“If you’re an American trying to get into Syria, it’s very difficult ... but we didn’t even have to get out of the vehicle [at the Syrian border],” Loeffler said.
In Jordan, “the welcome was not quite as warm,” he said. The convoy was stopped by police in Amman.
“They were trying to give us a hard time, but believe me, we gave them a real hard time,” Loeffler said about the blockades the convoy faced in Jordan.
The convoy planned to travel from Jordan to Egypt, but it had to turn away from the Egyptian border when the government threatened to take the activists’ passports away from them. The convoy returned to Syria and was ferried to El-Arish, Egypt by a Turkish ship, according to Loeffler.
In El-Arish, police tried to stop the convoy by blocking off entrances to the port. Tensions between police and the convoy culminated in a riot. Several people were injured, including a South African activist who was hit in the head with a rock thrown by a police officer, Loeffler said.
The convoy was allowed to enter Gaza only after Turkey negotiated its release from El-Arish, and they stayed there providing aid for several days.
Loeffler also spoke about environmental damage in the Gaza Strip.
“The real problem with Gaza is overpopulation,” Loeffler said.
Gaza’s population of 1.5 million people has overtaxed the coastal aquifers that supply all of Gaza’s freshwater. Polluted drinking water has caused high levels of methemoglobinemia, or “Blue Baby Syndrome,” a blood disorder in children, according to Loeffler.
The environmental situation has worsened since the start of the blockade. “Everything is exacerbated by the blockade ... you can’t get equipment in,” Loeffler said.
Palestinians are unable to clean up the rubble created by Israeli air strikes, new construction has been halted and the unemployment rate in Gaza is about 70 to 90 percent, according to Loeffler.
You can reach these writers at news@theeagleonline.com.
