Letter to the Ambassadors

The following letter was sent to the Ambassadors of the many countries whose citizens are currently waiting with the convoy in Aqaba.

•  Your Excellency

I write to you on this Christmas Day to send seasonal greetings.

I must also alert you to a difficult situation that has arisen for number of citizens of ........ who are volunteers with the Viva Palestina aid   convoy that is currently marooned in Jordan.

As you may be aware, Viva Palestina is a UK registered charity that was   formed earlier this year to provide humanitarian relief for the people of   Gaza . The two previous convoys, which entered Gaza via Eqypt in March and   February this year, successfully delivered hundreds of tonnes of   desperately needed aid through the Rafah crossing.

This, the third convoy, departed from London on 6th December, and has   driven across Europe , Turkey , Syria and Jordan , with volunteers joining   from many countries, including Australia , Belgium , Canada , Denmark ,   Ireland , Italy , Malaysia , Montenegro , New Zealand , Portugal, Spain , Syria ,   Turkey , the U.K. and U.S.A. The convoy is now some 210 vehicles strong -   ambulances packed with medical supplies, and aid trucks with food and  educational materials. The convoy is due to cross into Egypt via the ferry at Aqaba today and then to proceed to the Rafah Crossing, arriving on 27th December.

Alas, the Egyptian government has placed a series of seemingly arbitrary obstacles in our path. They are refusing to allow the convoy entry into   Egypt via the Red Sea port of Nuweiba , stating instead that the aid must enter Egypt through the Mediterranean port of Al Areesh . Because there are   no ferry companies that operate from Aqaba with a scheduled route to Al   Areesh, we have no recourse but to use the only route available to us,   from Aqaba to Nuweiba. This situation is of course is greatly distressing   to your citizens who have given up their time, collected aid, and driven   vast distances to assist the people of Gaza. Not only do they feel it is   an insult to their integrity and probity, but that also the proposed alternative route through Al Areesh is both impractical and impossible,   for reasons that I am sure you understand.

I would therefore be most obliged if you could contact the relevant   Egyptian authorities, on behalf of your citizens, to request the swift and   safe passage of the Viva Palestina convoy into Egypt via the ferry   crossing from Aqaba to Nuweiba, so that they can peacefully proceed to the   Rafah Crossing on their vital humanitarian mission.

I do hope that by raising your concerns with the Egyptian authorities this   so-called Season of Good Will will become a reality for your citizens and the people of Gaza .

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to   contact me or Ms Alice Howard, Viva Palestina Administrator, on  077944512469, alice@vivapalestina.org

I look forward to your response.

With very best wishes for a peaceful and joyous 2010

Yours sincerely

George Galloway MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA