On 18 September, an aid convoy left to take much-needed medical equipment to the people of Gaza and draw attention to the inhuman blockade of this tiny strip of land.
UN officials have described the situation as a “medieval siege”. 70% of Gazan families live on less than a dollar a day per person. On 2 August, a Palestinian man was arrested for stealing a bucket of Israeli water.
Wales participants in the convoy left Newport for the long hard overland drive to Gaza, taking about a month. There are two other arms of the land convoy, and the overall aim is to assemble 500 vehicles carrying medical equipment, educational supplies and the wherewithal to rebuild a school for orphans. The convoy will also be supporting the international flotilla that is scheduled to arrive at the same time.
A spokesperson for the ongoing Wales convoy project said: “We have a long list of requirements for a dental hospital which was damaged in the last round of bombings. It contains the most basic of equipment, nothing fancy, just scissors, tweezers, that type of thing. We want to take what they need, rather than what we think they need. The plan is that we either get the equipment donated to us, or we raise the funds and buy it. We are also looking for sponsorship for the van and will accept any reasonable proposition!”