MRCS VOLUNTEERS TO GAZA RETURN HOME

SEPANG (Malaysia), July 22 (Bernama) -- Nine Malaysian Red Crescent Society
(MRCS) volunteers who went to Gaza for a relief mission arrived safely at the KL
International Airport here Wednesday.

Led by MRCS vice-chairman Dr Bahari Abu Mansor, the team managed to
enter Gaza to offer humanitarian aid to the Palestinians last Sunday.

The team also comprised MRCS Publicity Committee chairman Ahmad A Talib, its
disaster management manager Nasir Khan Abdul Rahman and six other volunteers.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Dr Bahari advised the public who
wished to go to Gaza not to take things for granted.

He said they learnt this lesson the hard way when they were initially denied
entry to Gaza via Rafah, following new procedures introduced by the Egyptian
government, despite having the consent of the Palestine Red Crescent Society
(PRSC) to do so.

The team were only allowed to enter Gaza four days later after filing a new
application, he said.

"So, I would like to advise those who are planning to go to Gaza, don't take
things for granted. Although we have the permission, it doesn't mean that we can
enter Gaza easily," he said.

Nevertheless, Dr Bahari described the MRCS mission, the third in its series,
as successful.

"We visited several hospitals where medical equipment, including prosthetic
legs, had been purchased. About 4,000 school bags were also distributed to the
Palestinian children," he said.

The MRCS humanitarian mission to Gaza was aimed at monitoring how a donation
of RM1.7 million (US$513,000) given to the PRCS to acquire medical equipment
last year were being spent.

The mission was also aimed at improving the cooperation between MRCS and
PRCS, besides making plans to send more humanitarian aid to help the
Palestinians in Gaza in the future.

The volunteers left for Gaza on July 11.
-- BERNAMA


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