By Ragheema Mclean

For more than two months now Gaza has been plunged into a deep humanitarian crisis and are in need of urgent basic supplies.

Since the Israeli occupation cut off all food, water, electricity and fuel on the besieged enclave, thousands of people in Palestine have been without essentials and struggling to survive.

Responding to this urgent need, humanitarian organization Africa Muslims Agency (AMA) teams based in South Africa are currently preparing aid trucks in Egypt, which will then travel to the Rafah border for entry into Gaza.

Speaking on the VOC Drive Time show, Hussain Choonara, Regional Director of AMA, shed light on the organizations ongoing efforts for the people of Palestine.

Choonara explained, “We are currently stationed at a warehouse on the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt, loading aid into the trucks.”

Some of the contents being packed by AMA for Gaza include, water, essential food, hygiene products, sanitary items, blankets, as well as various medications.

“Our intention is to escort these vehicles through Egyptian territories up to the checkpoints before they reach the Rafah border.”

He said that once the trucks reach the border another truck will take charge of transporting the aid into Gaza where the supplies will be distributed.

Meanwhile, Choonara also highlighted the multifaceted challenges involved in this relief operation.

 “It’s not merely about loading trucks and delivering aid. There are stringent protocols, applications, and permissions that must be navigated.”

Detailing some of the logistics around delivering these aid trucks AMA said it generally, takes between 15-18 days from the time a truck gets packed to the time it gets unpacked in Gaza.

“We are hoping for a 5–8-day turnaround time in delivering these aids.”

He stated that the cost of filling one truck with assorted aid items stands at approximately R825,000, while aiding a single family in Gaza comes to around R1,500.

Earlier this month AMA under its Wheel to Heal campaign raised over R2 million earmarked for Humanitarian Aid for the people of Palestine.

Furthermore, AMA has also urged widespread support for aid deliveries in Gaza.

“Please donate to any organization delivering aid to the people of Palestine. The situation is very urgent, they need our help.

VOC News

Photo: AMA/Instagram