The "Joint Emergency Relief of the Christian Organizations" based
in Jerusalem organized two more convoys last week to provide relief
goods to Palestinians in need. Two members of Action by Churches Together
(ACT) International participated in these convoys: Lutheran World Federation
(LWF) Jerusalem and the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). The two convoys
were accompanied by members of the Christian Accompaniment Program from
Denmark and Iceland.
On Thursday, April 18, a convoy - two trucks and 7 cars - with food,
blankets and special packages for babies went to Tulkarm and Ababta
in the Westbank, where local NGOs distribute the items, LWF Jerusalem
reports. Around 900 boxes of food, 600 quilts and blankets, 400 baby
kits and 500 health kits were delivered to the Women's Union in Tulkarm
and the Anabta Municipality and Anabta Women's Committee. The items
are being distributed to the local population.
LWF Jerusalem writes in their update that very few people were out
on the streets when the convoy arrived. Local residents told the group
that the infrastructure of the two towns has suffered greatly. They
expressed deep concern about what the future holds for people. LWF staff
accompaning the convoy saw bent and broken street signs, damaged sidewalks,
wrecked buildings and destroyed cars. Even after the Israeli military
withdrawal the two towns remained completely isolated from one another
and from other Westbank towns. LWF writes that getting through the checkpoint
control between Tulkarm and Anabta lasted two hours.
LWF says that the convoy to Nablus with 4 lorries and 23 cars on Saturday,
April 20, was accompanied by an ecumenical delegation with representatives
of nearly all the Christian churches and organizations in Jerusalem.
The trucks transported food parcels, blankets, medical supplies and
baby care items to three distribution centres in Nablus. Two representatives
of the General Consulates of France and the Netherlands, who accompanied
the convoy had to return to Jerusalem after two hours of unsuccessful
negotiations at the Nablus checkpoint. They were not allowed through.
The report says that the convoy was closely watched and escorted by
Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers and that shooting could
be heard when the convoy unloaded goods in the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) compound
in Nablus. The visitors had the impression of driving through a "ghost
city" with all the streets deserted. Local residents stated that the
city was still under curfew and that tanks would patrol the city, shelling
the area randomly. Large scale destruction was visible. Many parked
cars had been flattened by tanks. Furthermore LWF Jerusalem reports
that representatives of the city of Nablus informed the convoy about
heavy damages to the Old City and its cultural heritage. They expressed
concern that there may still be bodies of people under the rubble of
houses that were destroyed.
