Humanitarian aid meant for Gaza meets Egyptian roadblock

A humanitarian convoy, loaded with food and medical supplies and intended for the Gaza strip. The Viva Palestina Convoy, also known as the Mile of Smiles, originated in Europe.

Aqaba, Jordan - The Mile of Smiles convoy is stuck in Jordan at the Bour Sai'id port, trying to access the Egyptian-controlled Rafah Terminal, but Egypt is not allowing to convoy to move on to Rafah. The original 80 trucks also carry mobility chairs, and represent the efforts of Viva Palestina, a registered charity based in the U.K., as well as different Arab groups based in Germany, France and Belgium. Turkey added in donations as the convoy passed through, and now the convoy has around 210 trucks and 500 people. According to Zuber Hatia, who has accompanied the convoy from Portsmouth, England,

"We are only a four hour ferry ride and a four hour drive from Gaza - we have to be there by 11:35am on 27th December - the first anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza.

So though we have all the cargo manifests, we have to just sit, wait and hope. Unfortunately, the Egyptians I have spoken to say this is a 'political aid convoy' rather than a humanitarian aid convoy - and that makes all the difference.

And though the Jordanians are being very kind to us while we wait, the fact is our trucks are impounded in a car park 30km from the port with tonnes of medicines spoiling in this Middle Eastern heat.

Please Mubarak, let our people go!."

British MP, George Galloway has accompanied the convoy from England. He has appealed to Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak, for quick passage to the Rafah crossing into Gaza, but Mubarak has not granted the wishes of the humanitarian convoy. Just a short while ago, an unknown number of members of the convoy began a hunger strike in an attempt to sway the Egyptians. The convoy left England on December 6th. It follows on the heels of two other aid convoys that made it to Gaza earlier this year. The organizers of Viva Palestina are trying to rally support for their cause through facebook, twitter, going to the media as well as appealing to an unknown number of Ambassadors for diplomatic assistance in getting passage through Egypt. The issue is a bit convoluted because Mubarak is not technically refusing the convoy passage through Egypt. What has happened is Egypt has directed that the convoy go through a specific port, one that organizers say they cannot easily access from their current location in Aqaba, Jordan. The convoy is continuing to press Mubarak for permission to use a port the convoy can access, but Egypt has refused this proposed alternative. A statement from the Egyptian government says

"The Egyptian government welcomes the passage of the convoy into the Gaza Strip on December 27, on condition that it abides by the mechanisms in place for humanitarian aid convoys to the Palestinian people.

"This includes most importantly, the entry of convoys through the port of El-Arish".

This is not the first time that Egypt has refused access to Gaza. Earlier this summer, three U.K. medics who were travelling to Gaza for a humanitarian mission were refused access by Egypt. Another aid convoy saw Egyptian authorities controlling access so strictly that only 16 people from the convoy were allowed into Gaza. The restrictive access meant most of the convoy was stranded at the border. Conditions in Gaza are alarming. Home to about 1.4 million people, the strip is cut off from the rest of the world by Israel and Egypt. Devastted by Israel's military campaign, reconstruction is stalled out. Refugee camps lack running water. Schools, health care facilities, parks, and recreational facilities are not available. Gaza is being fenced off by both Israel and Egypt. Egypt is now working to stop the illegal tunnels that Palestinians were digging to give people access to Egypt -- and the food and health care available in Egypt. The Egyptian border crossing, Rafah, is the only non-Israeli controlled crossing into Gaza. Rafah is the southern border crossing into Gaza from Egypt, and some say that Israel controls that crossing even though it is technically in the hands of the Egyptians. Viva Palestina is a U.K. registered charity.