More Trade Union Aid for Gaza

More Trade Union Aid for Gaza

A third aid consignment from ITF carrying tents, blankets and hospital cots for new-born babies left Jordan by road for Gaza on 24 February as part of a Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization aid convoy.

The first consignment of supplies organised by ITF Arab World Office in collaboration with the Jordanian General Trade Union of Workers in Air Transport and Tourism and Royal Jordanian Airlines was handed over to the Red Crescent for distribution in Gaza on 8 January 2009. The emergency supplies included three ambulances, medical supplies -examination tables, beds, wheelchairs, swabs, casts and splints for broken limbs - milk for babies, children's food, rice, wheat and water.

A second plane chartered by ITF carrying emergency supplies landed in Egypt on Wednesday 21January 2009. The Royal Jordanian Airlines plane delivered surgical equipment, first aid supplies, burn dressings, medicine and food donated by Jordanian transport unions and the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions.

TUC Aid - development arm of the British trade union movement - has made an initial contribution of £15,000 to the ITUC Trade Union Aid for Gaza Appeal to be used for emergency humanitarian relief operations currently being carried out by Red Crescent in Gaza in collaboration with the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions.

The TUC Aid Give for Gaza Appeal has so far raised some 28,000. Some TUC affiliates have made contributions to other charities carrying out emergency relief operations in Gaza. Unison has donated £10,000 to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) while a number of their branches have also made direct contributions to MAP. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has recommended donations to MAP and their own Tom Hurndall Fund which supports a variety of projects for children in Gaza. The National Association of Schoolmasters' Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) has donated £5,000 via Education International (EI) to the ITUC Appeal while the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has pledged £10,000 to the ITUC Appeal.

Give For Gaza

All cheques should be drawn in favour of TUC Aid - Give for Gaza - and sent to TUC Aid, EUIRD, TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS. You can also donate on-line at www.tuc.org.uk/tucaid and www.tuc.org.uk/giveforgaza