Monthly Archives: September 2016

News

Zaytouna is half way to Ajaccio. Searching for a replacement of Amal

September 17, 2016

For Immediate Release 

Barcelona, Spain: As Zaytouna-Oliva makes its way towards Ajaccio, France; the Women’s Boat to Gaza* (WBG) releases its passenger list, which includes women from nine countries across five continents. The list (found here) includes parliamentarian Malin Björk, a Swedish member of the EU parliament; Spanish actress Rosana Pastor Muñoz; and Yudit Ilany of Israel who serves as advisor to Knesset member Haneen Zoabi.

Meanwhile, sister ship Amal-Hope remains in Barcelona following her return to that port because of mechanical problems (we had such problems in previous missions). Based on a professional assessment, she will not be in a condition to follow Zaytouna.  Organizers are actively pursuing a new ship and will be launching a campaign to defray this additional cost. Zaytouna-Oliva is estimated to arrive in Ajaccio on Monday, September 19. The passenger list, which will change with each leg will be updated and shared throughout the journey. 

With regard to the Amal-Hope, Jaldia Abubakra, a passenger from Spain/Palestine, said, “we are sorry to leave her behind. But we carry Amal-Hope in our hearts.” 

For more information:

Ellen Huttu Hansson: +46 722 883 213 ellen.huttu.hansson@gmail.com
Other media contacts: https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/media-room

* The Women’s Boat to Gaza is an initiative of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition composed of civil society organizations and campaigns from more than a dozen countries. For more information, visit www.womensboattogaza.org.

In Canada please contact:
Sandra Ruch: miriamswell@hotmail.com    +1-416-716-4010
Irene Macinnes: iremac@shaw.ca   +1-778-870-2448

Donate: 
You can support the Women's Boat to Gaza by donating online:  https://canadaboatgaza.org/donate/

Those who can benefit from a U.S. tax receipt can contribute online at
https://womensboatgaza-nonviolenceinternational.nationbuilder.com/contribute

Other ways to get involved:
Follow us at www.canadaboatgaza.org and freedomflotilla.org
www.facebook.com/FreedomFlotillaCoalition/ and www.facebook.com/CanadaBoatGaza/
Twitter @GazaFFlotilla  @CanadaBoatGaza 

Canadian Boat to Gaza:  www.canadaboatgaza.org email: canadaboatgaza@gmail.com

Bateau Canadien pour GAZA:  www.canadaboatgaza.org courriel: canadaboatgaza@gmail.com

News, Statements

Barcelona Hosts Women’s Boat to Gaza for inaugural journey / Barcelone accueille le Bateau des femmes pour Gaza

For immediate release (le texte en français suit*)

From September 12-14, the sailing vessels Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva will moor at Bosch i Alsina dock in the port of Barcelona where various events (concerts, talks, nonviolent workshops, a street parade and visits to the boats) will take place as farewell for the women leaving to break the blockade on Gaza.

Zaytouna and Amal at a port in Spaisn

According to Laura Arau, with Rumba a Gaza, Spain’s WBG partner, the launch point from Barcelona has special meaning for the community there.  “We have been a sister city with Gaza since 1998, yet we have been unable to visit with one another,” she says.  “We want our sisters in Gaza to know they are not forgotten and that with these boats and women, we are sending to them our message of hope, love and solidarity.” 

The boats will depart on September 14th to Ajaccio, France and then travel through another Western Mediterranean port before reaching the shores of Gaza in early October.  For the Barcelona-Ajaccio leg, the passenger lists include Malin Björk, a Member of European Parliament from Sweden; Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an Israeli who currently lives in Spain and Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the invasion of Iraq. 

The women participants, who differ for each leg of the journey, represent over 15 countries across six continents. However, as Chamberlain Regev, who chairs WBG’s steering committee, explains “While we come from very different cultural and professional backgrounds, we all share a common bond. We find the blockade of Gaza and the occupation of Palestine absolutely unacceptable. And as long as governments continue to ignore this political-humanitarian crisis, we, as global citizens of goodwill, have no choice but to continue our efforts to break this inhumane blockade."  

For a schedule of program activities Barcelona, see here.

Press Contact in Barcelona: Laura Arau, Spanish, Catalan  (+34) 636 00 36 01 /prensa@rumboagaza.org
Wendy Goldsmith (English) Spokesperson in Barcelona until departure (Sept. 14): (+34) 691-179-722. 
David Heap (français; español; English) (+1) 519-859-3579 or (+34) 602 649 690 (until Sept. 15) 
Or see campaign media spokespeople here: https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/media-room

* The Women’s Boat to Gaza is an initiative of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition composed of civil society organizations and campaigns from more than a dozen countries. For more information, visit www.womensboattogaza.org.

*Pour publication immédiate.

Entre le 12 et le 14 septembre prochains, les Bateaux des femmes pour Gaza, le Amal-Hope et le Zaytouna-Oliva, seront amarrés  à Bosch i Alsina,  dans le port de Barcelone. Plusieurs événements y auront lieu (concerts, conférences-échanges, ateliers sur la non violence, parade dans les rues et visites des bateaux) en signe d’au revoir aux femmes qui prendront la mer dans le but de briser le blocus de Gaza.

Selon Laura Arau, du groupe musical Rumba a Gaza, partenaire du Bateau des femmes pour Gaza en Espagne, faire partir les bateaux de Barcelone revêt une signification très spéciale pour cette communauté. Nous avons été une ville sœur avec Gaza depuis 1998  et pourtant nous n’avons jamais pu nous visiter mutuellement a-t-elle affirmé. Nous voulons que nos sœurs de Gaza sachent que nous ne les oublions pas et qu’avec ces bateaux et les femmes qui  y participent, nous leur envoyons notre message d’espoir, d’amour et de solidarité.

Les bateaux partiront le 14 septembre d’Ajaccio en Corse (France) pour se rendre dans un autre port de la côte ouest de la Méditerranée avant de rejoindre les rives de Gaza au début d’octobre. Pour l’étape Barcelone-Ajaccio la liste des passagères comprend Malin Björk, députée suédoise au Parlement européen; Zohar Chamberlain Regev, une israélienne vivant en Espagne et Ann Wright, une colonelle retraitée  de l’armée américaine et ancienne diplomate qui a démissionné de son poste en 2003  pour protester contre l’invasion de l’Irak par les États-Unis.

Les femmes montant à bord des bateaux, et dont le nombre varie selon les étapes, représentent plus de 15 pays venant de six continents. Par ailleurs comme l’explique Chamberlain Regev, qui préside le comité de coordination du Bateau des femmes pour Gaza : Même si nous venons d’horizons culturels et professionnels très différents, nous partageons toutes un même engagement. Nous pensons que le blocus de Gaza et l’occupation de la Palestine sont absolument inacceptables. Et tant et aussi longtemps que les gouvernements continueront d’ignorer cette crise politico-humanitaire, nous, en tant que citoyennes du monde et femmes de bonne volonté n’avons d’autre choix que de poursuivre inlassablement nos efforts  pour briser ce blocus inhumain. 

Pour la programmation des activités prévues à Barcelone : voir ici.

Personne-contact auprès des medias: Laura Arau (espagnol, catalan) +34 636 00 36 01 / prensa@rumboagaza.org 

Wendy Goldsmith (anglais) porte-parole à Barcelone jusqu'au départ (14 september ): (+34) 691-179-722. 
David Heap (français; español; English) (+1) 519-859-3579 or (+34) 602 649 690 (jusqu'au 15 septembre) 

Ou contacter les porte-paroles de la campagne ici: https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/media-room

Le Bateau des femmes pour Gaza est une initiative de la Coalition des Flottilles de la Liberté, constituée d’organisations de la société civile et de campagnes qui se déploient dans plus d’une douzaine de pays.

 

 

 

Reports

GAZA: TWO YEARS SINCE THE 2014 HOSTILITIES – A report from The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

AUGUST 2016

KEY FACTS

  • Of the approximately 100,000 Palestinians who had their homes destroyed or severely damaged during the 2014 hostilities, 65,000 remain displaced; over half of them may not receive any cash assistance during the second half of 2016, due to lack of funding.
  • Some 900 people, a third of them children, sustained some form of permanent disability during the hostilities and about 100 underwent amputation of limbs.
  • Over 160,000 children are estimated to be in need of continuous psychosocial support.
  • Since the ceasefire, 17 civilians have been killed, and 100 have been injured by explosive remnants of war (ERW), including 46 children. Some 3,300 items of ERW have been safely removed and 87 hazardous sites are yet to be cleared.
  • All 78 hospitals and clinics damaged during the conflict were repaired, reconstruction of three totally destroyed clinics is ongoing, and rebuilding of one hospital destroyed is yet to start.
  • Of the seven totally destroyed schools, reconstruction of one is complete and work on the other six is ongoing; all the 252 damaged schools have been repaired.
  • Repair of about two-thirds of the damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure and equipment is complete or underway, with the remaining third lacking funding; most households receive piped water only for a few hours every 2-4 days.
  • Only half of the open-field crop areas, 18% of tree orchards, and 16% of greenhouses damaged or destroyed during the hostilities, have been restored, undermining farmers’ livelihoods and food production.
  • Only 27% of the funding requested in the Humanitarian Response Plan 2016 for Gaza-specific projects has so far been received. 

Read and download the entire report here