Stranded Palestinians in Gaza appeal for re-opening of crossings

[ 18/10/2007 - 11:13 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Stranded Palestinians in Gaza, who are residents in other countries, staged a sit-in, on Wednesday in front of the ministry of social affairs in Gaza City, appealing for an end to their suffering and the re-opening of crossings.

The stranded Palestinians, who are holders of different visas such as student, work, treatment and residence visas, are living outside Gaza. Some of them have their families back in their countries of residence, some of them are threatened with losing their jobs if they do not return to them soon.

About 6000 is the number of the stranded Palestinians in Gaza some of them are women who need to return to their families and children residing in Arab countries and others are students who are already too late for joining their respective universities for this year or term depending on the system at their universities.

In a message, the protestors called on PA chief Mahmoud Abbas to intervene personally and give orders to his officials to exert efforts to end their crisis especially since there are elderly people, children, women and patients amongst the stranded people.

The protesters appealed to the UN, the European Union and human rights organizations to solve their problems quickly and to pressure the IOA to open the crossings because freedom of movement is one of the most basic human rights.

They made a special appeal to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to find a solution to the elderly, women and children stranded in the Arish area who are sleeping rough and without any shelter, calling on him to put pressure on the IOA in order to allow them to enter Gaza as soon as possible.

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