A South African Islamic charity organisation and the Foreign Affairs Department are to deliver a R5-million aid package to Palestinian refugees in Ramallah on Tuesday.
Permission to deliver the aid was granted by the Israeli government following seven weeks of negotiations by the department with the Israeli government, the Gift of the Givers Foundation said in a statement.
The aid was expected to leave for Ramallah from the Johannesburg International Airport in a cargo plane on Tuesday.
It comprises medical equipment, enough water purification sachets for two million litres of water, bottled water, intravenous fluids, medicines, food, candles and soap – donated by supporters of the foundation.
”The aid will be delivered to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry in Ramallah… from where it will be dispatched to hospitals at various refugee camps in the Palestinian territories,” the statement said.
”Arrangements are being made to deliver aid items to representatives of the Church of the Holy Nativity as the Palestinian Christians are becoming a forgotten entity whose numbers are dwindling significantly.”
The Foreign Affairs Department confirmed that such a delivery is to be made. – Sapa