Published on 16 September 2014 by www.venezuelanalysis.com
Fifty-six tons of Venezuelan humanitarian aid were delivered last Monday in Egypt by the Red Crescent Society, which will be in charge of distributing the tents, non-perishable food items, water, and clothes to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip throughout the week.
After an Israeli airstrike lasting over 50 days, resulting in over 2,000 dead and many wounded, thousands of Gazans find themselves without shelter in densely populated areas, many of which have been reduced to rubble.
Venezuelan ambassador to Egypt Juan Antonio Hernandez said of the aid shipment, “The idea is to alleviate a bit the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza.” The diplomat also mentioned that this kind of foreign aid is based on the legacy of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who had a “vision of brotherhood with the arab peoples.”
Other initiatives taken by president Nicolas Maduro have been to swiftly establish the “Hugo Chavez” refugee center for Palestinian children orphaned by the conflict, and to pledge financial aid in the reconstruction of Gaza’s cities.
This is the second shipment of its kind that Venezuela has successfully sent to Gaza since the most recent airstrike this summer. The 12 ton package sent on August 12th included medicines, medical equipment, flashlights, sleeping pads and blankets, as well as family-sized tents, along with drinking water and non-perishable food.