Viva Palestina Convoy Continues Journey To Tartus Port

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From Kuzaimah Idris

DAMASCUS, Dec 31 (Bernama)

While the rest of the world usher the arrival of 2010 with cheers and fireworks, members of the Viva Palestina convoy of 450 are expected to usher the New Year on a ship in the Mediterranean sea.

And as this news was written, the 220 trucks and ambulances loaded with humanitarian, educational aid and medical supplies was on their way to the Port City of Tartus in northern Syria.

The convoy continued their journey from here at 10.30am local time, after a day’s delay, due to logistical problems.

The 230km journey to Tartus Port, through the town of Home and Hama, is expected to take between four to five hours.

And if everything goes as planned, the convoy of world nationals, will board an awaiting ship to get them to the Egyptian El-Arish Port city.

However, if the convoy were to be stranded in Tartus Port, the group would have no choice but to spend New Year’s eve under tents and dreadfully cold temperatures at night, in the northern port city.

Though tired and exhausted, members of the convoy had not shown any sign of giving up their quest to deliver aid worth US$1 million (RM3.5 million) to the Palestinians in Gaza.

They hope when they reached El-Arish port, the journey to Gaza via Rafa by land would proceed smoothly.

The convoy started off from London on Dec 6 and had earlier planned to reach Gaza by Dec 27, a year after the Zionist atrocities against the Palestinians.