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Vietnam War Veteran Ron Kovic and George Galloway will lead U.S. convoy to Gaza.
Viva Palestina US » News from Gaza
A Call to Action
Ours is a time of change. And nowhere is change more desperately needed than for the long suffering people of Palestine.
The brutal bombardment of the Gaza Strip at the start of this year killed over 1,400 people. Thousands more lost limbs, were scarred for life by phosphorus bombs, or were maimed by other hideous weapons. All this was inflicted on a besieged people who had nowhere to flee to.
For far too long public policy and media coverage of Palestine in the US has been grotesquely distorted. We hope to change that and win a more just approach from President Obama, whose election marks an emphatic rejection of the disastrous Bush years.
The assault on Gaza has proved a turning point. A majority of Americans polled came out against it. Unprecedented numbers took to the streets in protest.
Protest is important, but it is not enough. That’s why we have organised a convoy of medical aid for the people of Gaza to leave the US on July 4. We hope to take hundreds of vehicles carrying $10 million worth of medical aid from Egypt into Gaza.
The Palestinian people need wheelchairs, medicines, prosthetic limbs and baby units.
They need also to see that there are huge numbers of Americans who care about their plight.
And the US itself needs the world – above all the Arab and Muslim worlds – to see a different face from that projected these last eight years.
If hundreds of US passport holders bearing millions of dollars worth of medical aid enter Gaza this July, they will gain immense international publicity. Hundreds of millions of people who feel enraged at recent US foreign policy will see that ordinary Americans are also opposed to it and are in no sense their enemy.
We appeal to you to support this convoy in whatever ways you can. Its success will not only bring some relief to the people of Palestine, it can be a significant step in building a new relationship between America and the rest of the world
George Galloway MP
Ron Kovic
Join the Convoy
Join us on this exciting and important journey to provide humanitarian medical supplies to the desperate people of Gaza! Make sure to sign up for email updates (see sidebar). Forward our information to your mailing lists and check our site frequently to see what’s new!
Register to Join the Convoy:
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PRIOR TO REGISTERING: Registration is only open until June 20th, 2009, at midnight (CST), after which, no applications will be accepted. Your registration form MUST be complete upon submission or it will not be considered. Note: We anticipate receiving thousands of applications yet only have space and accommodations for approximately 500 individuals. Additionally, US, Egyptian and Palestinian authorities will have to abide by appropriate security standards in issuing Visas. (For basic information on Visa requirements, please click here). Registering for the convoy DOES NOT guarantee you will be accepted to attend. Viva Palestina USA reserves the right to refuse participation to any applicant.
If you would like to make the exciting trek from JFK on July 4th to Cairo then to Gaza with us, please complete the following steps.
• Read and agree to the “Convoy Conditions”
• Complete and submit the online Registration Form
• Wait patiently for us to process your application and to confirm with the proper authorities your eligibility to participate. NOTE: July 4th is fast –approaching! The more quickly you submit a properly completed form, the sooner we can consider it. However, it will take time to review the many applications. To confirm the status of your application, please send an email with your contact information and the date you submitted your application to: usregistration@vivapalestina.org. We will contact you as soon as possible.
• Prepare yourself and those around you for your potential participation in the convoy by educating yourself to the daily situation in Egypt and Gaza. To follow just a few of the news stories Viva Palestina finds important, please click here. Many additional resources are available online and at your local libraries and bookstores. For some suggestions, please click here.
• PREPARE & PACK SMART! We hope to use the luggage allowances (two 50lb bags per traveler) to take medicine and supplies. We ask that you bring ONLY basic necessities and ONLY what you’ll need for the two week trip. Remember, you’re visiting a disaster area, and you’re also going to be in a Muslim country in the middle of summer – sturdy, comfortable shoes; water and dust resistant clothes that are visually conservative and protect your skin, but keep you cool; basic hygiene supplies; and simple electronics (mobile phones with international calling, cameras, chargers, etc.) are all recommended. PLEASE DO NOT BRING VALUABLES! Viva Palestina is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal items, nor can we guarantee locked or guarded storage facilities during the convoy.
HOW TO DONATE
In order for you to have the maximum benefit for your contribution, we have formed a fiduciary partnership with the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organizations/Pastors for Peace (IFCO), a long established humanitarian 501(c)(3) organization. This means you can report the generous charitable contributions you make to Viva Palestina and receive the tax deduction benefit!
VISIT OUR SECURE PAYPAL LINK (coming soon)
OR
SEND IN YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS BY SENDING CASH OR CHECKS made payable to:
Viva Palestina USA – IFCO
47 West Polk Street
Suite 100 – 403
Chicago, IL, 60605-2085
OTHER THAN DIRECT FUNDS, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
There are dozens of ways to assist Viva Palestina USA in its goal to provide relief to the people of Gaza! You can:
• Contact hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and physician’s offices to gather non-expired, legal medicines and medical supplies, first aid kits, hygiene materials, prosthetics, and other assisting devices (e.g. wheelchairs, crutches, slings, casts).
• Donate the cost of an airline ticket or donate your transferable frequent flier miles or airline vouchers for another to meet us in New York or Cairo or, better still, donate the cost of the convoy if you are unable to come with us!
• Donate the cost of a vehicle for purchase in Cairo.
• Attend the convoy as a media representative or photographer/videographer and document the convoy’s journey and experiences and donate the final product to Viva Palestina for use or distribution.
Contact us for more information: usinformation@vivapalestina.org or call 773.226.2742
TO BECOME A SPONSOR
We invite other organizations and individuals to sponsor the Viva Palestina convoy. Sponsorship rates are as follows:
National Organizations – $1,000.
State Organizations – $500.
Local Organizations & Individuals – $100.
TO WHOM WILL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS BE DISTRIBUTED
It is Viva Palestina USA’s goal to provide humanitarian medical relief to the people of Gaza. In that, we are well aware of and in strict compliance with domestic and international laws governing the transfer and distribution of funds and materials. To read our full statement, please click here.
Health conditions worsening in Gaza as borders remain closed
– UN agency – (22 May 2009)
The deteriorating health situation in Gaza has been intensified by Israel’s blockade of crossings into the area, the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees warned today.
Even before Israel’s military offensive targeting Hamas militants on the tiny strip of land earlier this year, which killed over 1,400 people and injured 5,000 others, the border closures had a grave impact on the health of Gazans and the ability of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to provide health services.
According to the agency’s latest health report, some 4,000 medical items per day on average could cross into Gaza before the conflict, whereas only 40 items are currently allowed to be imported daily.
UNRWA also reported that restrictions on building supplies have resulted in damaged health care centres being left in a state of disrepair and a scarcity of paper has led to difficulties in keeping medical records.
The new report also voiced deep concern over the lack of adequate food to children, and said that on top of widespread unemployment, no petrol or diesel has been delivered to Gaza and only very limited amounts of cooking gas has made it into the Strip since 2 November, causing anaemia in 30 per cent of children below 36 months of age and 50 per cent of pregnant women.
Guido Sabatinelli, UNRWA Director of Health, told reporters in Geneva today that the agency forecasted a 25 per cent shortfall in its biennium budget for 2009-2010. Since needs were expanding, the agency said it would be obliged to suspend some of its services next year, including hospital closures.
Mr. Sabatinelli said that the UNRWA health budget was $80 million to provide for 4 million persons, or $20 per person per year, which is well below the recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) of $60 per person as an absolute minimum.
May 26, 2009 Posted by Elias
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