South African Muslims Lend Gaza Hand
There is also talk of South African doctors entering Gaza as part of a medical mission to assist the struggling hospitals.
Gaza sympathizers say the bombardment is mostly harming innocent civilians. There is particular outrage that the attacks are occurring during Ramadan.
Over 100 Palestinians have been killed and about 800 have been wounded in the offensive. There have been no Israeli deaths.
The Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (Imasa) this week condemned the “barbaric attack on the innocent population of Gaza” and outlined the need for adequate medical equipment and supplies in Gaza hospitals.
Dr Riaz Ismail of Imasa said it would be launching a fundraising drive to purchase food, clothing, medicine and other supplies.
“Gaza’s health facilities have been strangled over the past few years since the last invasion during 2009 with blockage of all access points and an embargo on essential supplies and equipment including fuel and electricity. With the recent dramatic influx of casualties, Gaza’s health facilities and its personnel are struggling to continue its services. They urgently require medicines, surgical supplies and disposables, saline and other fluids.
“The displaced population requires clothing, blankets, shelter, food, drinking water, sanitation and other humanitarian aids.”
Imasa has embarked on its relief operation by purchasing these essential data-x-items with the assistance of a local partner, PIMA (Palestinian International Medical Aid).
Ismail said Imasa would try to co-ordinate a medical mission with its various provincial branches to assist medical facilities in Gaza.
Solly Suleman of the KZN Islamic Medical Association said his branch has begun fund-raising for Gaza. He said the medical association had earlier this year tried to send a delegation to Gaza but were forced to abandon its plans.
Suleman said the organization would primarily assist the Palestinians through local fund-raising.
“This is tragedy, innocent children are being killed and the international community is standing by and watching.”
Yacoob Vahed, local coordinator for the Al Imdaad Foundation, said that the situation in Gaza was dire.
Al Imdaad has been working in Gaza since 2003 and established a females-only hospital. The organization runs programs for orphans and widows and is involved in food hamper distribution.
Vahed said that at the request of the ministry of health in Gaza, and due to the current state of emergency, the hospital has been opened to all. He said the organization has been regularly transferring publicly collected funds to Gaza to sustain its operations.
“We have sufficient medical personnel there but we don’t know how long supplies will last, and there is a problem replenishing because sometimes the border is open and sometimes it isn’t,” said Vahed.
He said the organization would not consider sending a team of local doctors to Gaza at this stage as there was no guarantee that the border with Egypt would be open.
“Innocent lives are being lost in Ramadan and the world is focused on soccer. This is really a sad situation,” he said.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers said it had a team on the ground providing medical supplies. “The provision of relevant medical supplies during this difficult period will be the main focus of Gift of the Givers. In the meantime we have been providing food parcels to poor families this Ramadan and are also involved in the construction of a five-storey Women and Child Care Centre in Gaza presently which is at a very advanced stage in spite of border closures and a shortage of building material,” Sooliman said.
Meanwhile the South African Muslim Network has supported calls for a boycott of Israel products.
Source: IOL
