Gaza collects Haiti aid, says it was similarly shaken by Israel
Gaza drive comes as West Bank-ruling PA says will also send Haiti aid in wake of deadly earthquake.
By Avi Issacharoff Tags: Palestinian Authority Israel newsPalestinians in Gaza are offering donations and financial support for the victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake at the Strip's Red Cross headquarters, the Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported on Monday.
The Ma'an reported said that Gazan family members of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel also participated in the effort, offering financial donations and goods such as blankets and covers, as well as food and milk for children.
The report comes after the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, said that it intended send humanitarian to Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake which all but leveled the island's capital city, adding that it was working to ensure the safety of members of the Palestinian community residing on the island.
Head of the Committee to Break the Siege Jamal Al-Khudary said "people may be astonished at our ability to collect donations from our people [in Gaza]; we tell them that this is a humanitarian campaign and our people love life and peace ?"
"We are here today supporting the victims of Haiti ? we feel for them the most because we were exposed to our own earthquake during Israel?s war on Gaza."
The Red Cross director was only able to accept financial donations as transferring goods out of the Strip is near impossible, Al-Khudary added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Haitians were still struggling on Monday to find food and shelter in the wake of last week's earthquake, as international aid agencies reported a severe lack in supplies despite the overwhelming demand.
"There is little sign of significant aid distribution," said a representative of the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders.
The aid group also complained of skewed priorities and a supply bottleneck at the U.S.-controlled airport, and urged the U.S. military to be clear on its prioritization of medical supplies and equipment.
Also on Monday, the Israeli rescue team dispatched to search for people trapped in the rubble of the deadly earthquake were said to have ceased their efforts, deeming the chances of finding more survivors after four days very slim.
The Home Front Command's delegation will remain on hand on Thursday to deliver any necessary medical aid.
Earlier Monday, UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said he planned to ask the Security Council to temporarily increase the UN's force. There are currently about 7,000 UN military peacekeepers and 2,100 international police in Haiti.
The troop increase and an expected request to the UN for more peacekeepers were coming a day after sporadic violence and looting in Port-au-Prince underscored how an uptick in water and food deliveries still fell far short of demand.
"We don't need military aid. What we need is food and shelter," one young man yelled at UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his visit to the city Sunday. "We are dying," a woman told him, explaining she and her five children didn't have any food.
Haitian riot police meanwhile fired tear gas to disperse crowds of looters in the city's downtown as several nearby shops burned. Police stopped reporters from heading into the center of Port-au- Prince around LaVille, near the presidential palace, because of shooting and riots.
"They are shooting everybody, journalists, policemen. There are the bad guys," said one Haitian police officer said.
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Palestinians think just like the western world when it comes to food and water. Gazans may not be starving, but Israel is doing its best to ensure they do.Israel permits an average of 80 truckloads a day of aid to enter gaza. An admission of genocide. According to UN World Food Program, Gaza, with a population of 1.5million, requires daily 400 trucks of just food to meet basic nutritional needs. Israel forbids entry of building materials,medicine, electrical appliances,spare parts for cars and machines, fabrics,threads,needles,candles,matches,mattresses, sheets,blankets,cutlery,crockery,cups,glasses,musical instruments,books,tea,coffee,sausages,and shoes. UN relief agencies report 80% of Gazans depend on meager trickle of International aid Israel permits to enter; 450,000 (30%) are without clean water; patients are in dire need of medical care. WHO reports not enough IVs. Blood must be kept in plastic bottles. The blockade is a violation of article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention.
We are all Palestiniens, all people who suffer, all people who are inprisoned in their own land, all people who dont have nothing. I support Gaza and their way of showing the world how humain they are FREE GAZA, THE WORLDS BIGGEST PRISION !!!!
Palestinains decided to shoot at Israel 10K rockets for 8 years and got bashed for it. Estimates are at 1300 killed. Compare that with 3.5 million homeless and 200K people killed in Haiti for no fault of their own and you can surely see the similarity. Can't? It must be because you are a logical person, from the kind of people Palestinians don't bank on....
Unlike the Palestinians, the Haitians don't swear to kill an entire people and don't donate their children as suicide bombers.No one with a brain will ever confuse the two
Ah yes, like everything else, the earthquake in Haiti is all about the Palestinians
What do you mean "the media ignores this fact" that is such nonsense as Haaretz had articles and updates on what the IDF are doing and CNN was constantly talking about the US role in helping yesterday. You just needed an excuse to point fingers at the Pals in an article that illustrates their humanity.... unlike the regular brainwashing you and many Americans have unfortunately. Palestinians (the people, not the idiots you hear about in the news) are humane people who have been victims of extreme atrocities and that is why they can be compassionate and empathize with people in Haiti. Not everyone is a suicidebomber you idiot. Why dont you visit the territories and see for yourself how people are forced to live instead of being a cry-baby from home.
Kind of like how jews constantly claim AD NAUSEUM about being oppressed, yet are the most rich and priveledged ethnic gtoup on the planet.
This does not look good. We need to put a stop to this.
Some of the Arab/Muslim nations that are sending money, supplies and aid to Haiti - Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Bahrain, Morocco Not to mention Arab/Muslim NGO's assisting as well. Any claim that Muslims aren't helping Haiti is false.
They have have been suffering from the Occupation since 1947. Please do not gorget that. thank you.
Bravo to Israel, Gaza and anyone who has sent aid, no matter how little, to help the Haitian people. To all those trying to score points against each other using such a tragedy, get back in your prams and shut up you bunch of nasty and spoiled little children.
What do you mean "the media ignores this fact" that is such nonsense as Haaretz had articles and updates on what the IDF are doing and CNN was constantly talking about the US role in helping yesterday. You just needed an excuse to point fingers at the Pals in an article that illustrates their humanity.... unlike the regular brainwashing you and many Americans have unfortunately. Palestinians (the people, not the idiots you hear about in the news) are humane people who have been victims of extreme atrocities and that is why they can be compassionate and empathize with people in Haiti. Not everyone is a suicidebomber you idiot. Why dont you visit the territories and see for yourself how people are forced to live instead of being a cry-baby from home.
People were kept poor even they have untapped gas and oil. USrael is sending army.
Its very difficult, to those who are in Tel Aviv to understand, try to learn baby!!
Wonder if the Arab media is showing that there are Israeli search and rescue and medical teams there?
"We should judge them [these women] by what they do not what they say!" What these women are doing is collecting for the earthquake-ravaged people of Haiti. Will you put them in the same catagory as killers? Some Gazans kill. Therefore all Gazans are killers? You should be ashamed!
May be because the Palestinians know what it is like to do without. instead of being called names we should praise them for their generosity. Shame on the ones who let hate take over no matter what.
at least the israelis had shown a human face by sending natural disater experts to haiti including some aid. where are the so called arabs who never lift a hand to help a non-muslim country in case of such calamities. kudos to israel for the good works. good deeds overcome bad deeds.
You are wrong!! Israel is always among the first to help people in need!! Remember tsunami in Indonesia in 2004? Israel was there!! Remember Vietnamese Boat people in the Seventies and Eighties Israel took few thousand+ in, There are more examples if Jewish/Israel charity that this world cares to remember.Can you give me few examples of Arabs helping Vietnamese boat people or Palestinians trying to help?? I am waiting for your answer "Tony"
Those of you criticizing the Pa|estinians for he|ping out other peop|e in need are sick to the core. Your conscience, if you have one, needs reca|ibration.
"Stop blaming Israel all the time. Enough" Why is Israel always to blame?
Are these the same women in the photo holding Hamas made placard propaganda that also they strap explosive belts around their kids and send to kill jews in pizza parlors? Are these the same women who profess that they love life and peace? Are these the same women who believe that jew are pigs an monkeys ? We should judge them by what they do not what they say!
It means very much when people give but especially when those that give have so little to even spare. God bless the Palestinians, who have suffered for so long yet still have the heart and goodwill to reach out to others.
Gazans are showing their humanity for other people despite the fact that Gaza has been under a stranglehold blockade for months now...
"Haitians haven`t been strapping bombs to themselves and firing rockets trying to kill the earthquake`s children" Enough already of the "poor Israel" sob story. You're behind the times, my dear. There were no suicide bombings deaths at all last year, as reported by the Shin Bet....
You don't need to be rich to help a fellow human in need. I wish to thank the Palestinian people for this gesture, despite the horrible occupation that has been bestowed upon you, you still find it in your hearts to help others in need. True heroes.
you must be Israeli
Yes is a shortage But they do without to help! this is the reality Their love is a million stronger than you or me!
The difference is that Haitians haven't been strapping bombs to themselves and firing rockets trying to kill the earthquake's children. The Gazans have a lot of nerve comparing their situation to that of Haiti. Boo-hoo us, what else is new?
Yet another disgusting propaganda ploy by the Palestinians. ""We are dying," a woman told him, explaining she and her five children didn't have any food." Here we go again with "Israel is starving the Palestinians". Sorry folks, it ain't so. There are no mass graves full of Gazans who starved to death. Turn on Al Jazeera and look at the reports from Gaza: healthy looking people all around. The Palestinians simply don't think like the western world (or the UAE for that matter, which apparently sent a plane with relief aid) and that they can give charity. The untold tens of billions of dollars pumped into the Palestinian economy has produced kassam missile squads and suicide bombing teams - not emergency rescue teams. And the untold hundreds of millions of dollars the Iranians are pumping into Gaza is going for weapons, not food or rebuilding. Apparently 150,000 Haitians have tragically perished. Israel could indeed have "similarly shaken" Gazan. But we didn't.
Palestinians have their leaders to thank for that. They made bad choices starting with partition of Palestine in 1947. Had they agreed to the PARTITION they would be celebrating their 60+ Anniversary just like israel. Deal with it!!
Last I checked, Haiti wasn't lobbing daily missles into the Dominican Republic prior to their "disaster." I love how Palestinians compare a natural disaster to something not only totally preventable for them - but warned about repeatedly.
people like the gazans find the will and resources to aid Haiti and they should be commenaded for it. Israel aid although admirable as well is being used mostly for PR purposes, you don't hear much about the Turkish aid which has been quite more significant than Israel's.
ideology is about.
What Gazans are doing is a political stunt,that's all. Do they have to mention Israel's Operation" Cast Lead""? no!! Incidentally, why did the palestinian shooting of rockest singificantly increases during election?? Let me guess it was kassams that elected Netaniahu. Don't complain now!!
That there are Palestinian Arabs that have to attach politics to aid helping out Haitians, or some of the cynical responses by Israeli Jews on "they DO have money" instead of ignoring the fact that many are giving away what little they have to help others. This outlook shows so much of what the issues are between Israeli Jews and Arabs, and Palestinians.
The products and money these islamofacists are giving is money and products given to them. Real honest re-gifters these phoney arabs.
only the Jews can take something so noble like this and twist it so bad that it sounds like a crime. just take the story for what it is, you do not need to be rich to donate!, that's why they call it "donation" because there is no minimum on how much you can give! Bravo to Gaza and it's people.
Reading the responses so far on this board , amazing. HEY isin't Israel the biggest PR machine on the planet. Better bring back John Voit for more pictures of children standing in front of rusting Quassan.s. PS speaking of pictures anyone seen the picture of the Lebanese child missing both legs and an arm from a cluster bomb.
Palestinians of Gaza know what is hunger and suffering,that is why they send what they can to help the poor people of Haiti. Unlike israel that uses its help as a propaganda!
by claiming their slefmade fate to other peoples misfortunes. There are solid indictaions that about 100,000 haitians are killed last week.Here comes Hams propaganda that that is similar to casulities of 1100 80% of them terrorists Hamasnik during Cast lead action, which was a rsponse to years of Hams rocket attacks on Sderot and Negev communities. Liike wise palestinians are pushing the misinformation that they suffered a holocaust. much worse then the holocaust of jews during WWII. Watch the antisemitic Europeans repeat this Canard from now on that Gazan suffered more then Haitian
Nothing like giving with open arms and an open heart to the needy. The Palestinian's (and Arab countries) need to learn to give because they care and are generous rather than trying to prove a point....Their point in this case is totally irrelevant and mocks the suffering of the Haitians in need!
Although Gazans are suffering from a man-made (also, woman-made, given Tzipi livni's role in besieging and attacking Gaza) disaster, they still have humanity in them. Donations from Gaza, the largest prison on earth, to Haiti should be praised.
reach Shalit in all years of his captivity ? Then it complains it "can't get things out of Gaza"? It's not the RC if it operates as the prolonged arm of Hamas.
Israel offered aid without politics and were accused of doing it just for PR. Now here the Pals offer aid and blatantly politicize it, now lets see if the same people who criticized Israel will attack the Pals. I'll answer that for you, they will NOT! As usual Israel is always falsely accused of what the Pals really do. Israel simply offered aid the Pals are trying to use a human tragedy to make a PR point, shame on them.
At times such as this we all need to forget politics and do all we can to help the Haitian people in any way we can. I commend the people of Gaza for this gesture.
Outrageous. The scale of tragedy is in a different universe and certainly the Haitian people did not bring the tragedy onto themselves!
why not send some folks who know how to tunnel?
Only when lying suits the Palestinian purpose.
For years I have heard that the Palestians want money from the world and that Israel is keeping them poor, then suddenly they are rich enough to provide humanitarian aid when they are supposed to need help themselves.
ignores this fact. the arabs have not done enough and in truth, the Pal leadership should share the western money that they receive from the west and the US to help others rather than spend it on hate education for their kids against the US and Israel and suicide bombing preparation!!
ignores this fact. the arabs have not done enough and in truth, the Pal leadership should share the western money that they receive from the west and the US to help others rather than spend it on hate education for their kids against the US and Israel and suicide bombing preparation!!