Palestinians
Killed and Decomposing in JeninOnions and Cucumbers: “Nothing can get into Jenin Refugee Camp except by hand.”
5:30pm (Palestine Time), April 18, 2002
Myself and several internationals are back in the Jenin Refugee camp today and we’re trying to do whatever we can to bring food and water – anything for babies and children – from outside the camp to inside the camp. We’re still having to carry supplies in by hand.
About an hour ago there was an explosion just next to this place we’re coordinating from. A 16 year old boy – I don’t know what happened, but he had half of his hand blown off and two other kids with him (one about 15 and one about 6) were also injured. There are no ambulances around, no doctors around, and they took him to Jenin hospital back in the city. They had to walk there. I’m assuming he made it OK but I don’t know. He was in shock. It was ugly.
Q: Do you any idea what caused the explosion?
My feeling is there was a booby trap. The resistance set a lot of booby traps and bombs in different places so it’s kind of hectic but there are also unexploded ordinances from the Israeli military on the ground.
Q: Is the Israeli military allowing relief vehicles into the camp?
Yesterday they allowed four hours for people to collect the bodies. I don’t think there was anything from outside – only from inside the camp and the city. So people still don’t have water and food. We just brought in some cucumbers and onions. That’s the first time in weeks if not over a month that they’ve seen fresh vegetables. It’s not much, but a few people will have some cucumbers and some onions.
Q: Where did you get these vegetables?
They’re sitting at these people’s house in Jenin City. The UN left all these items there: Water, baby’s milk, cucumbers, eggplants, and onions. There are quite a lot of supplies. We went back and forth twice today. Hopefully we’ll go back in the morning and get some more and hopefully get it all in here tomorrow, Friday, inside the camp.
Q: When you say “we,” who are the people you’re working with?
Palestinians
Killed and Decomposing in Jenin
Refugee Camp, 4/18/02 (Palestine Chronicle)
We’re coordinating with a Doctor with the UPMRC (Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committee), Dr. Mustafa Barghouti’s organization. He’s a resident of the camp and the coordinator for the UPMRC.. He’s only a doctor, he’s only supposed to do medicine, but he’s trying to help with food and water also. There are five of us internationals that came in today, all from the International Solidarity Movement. There’s also about 12 French people that are here, they just came in and we don’t know anything about them. They’re helping out too – we’re working with them today.
The curfew was lifted in the camp for a couple of hours today. Of course it’s closed again; the curfew’s back on. There’s still a curfew in Jenin city. No medical services, no humanitarian aid. Nothing can get into the camp except by hand.
Q: Can any of the residents of Jenin refugee camp leave it to get food aid themselves?
Yes, I saw some ladies walking in with some stuff. Some other ladies asked them where they got it, and they said from Jenin city. People are able to come and go when the curfew is lifted a little bit. It only helps a few people a day to come and go, it doesn’t help a whole lot.
Q: Is the Israeli military still inside the camp?
Oh yeah!
Not too many people are able to come and go. A few people are able to get some stuff. Parents are really angry because they haven’t had anything for their kids. No diapers for their babies, they don’t have anything proper that they need. It’s really a difficult situation.
Brian Wood is a member of the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace and is part of an international movement in solidarity with Palestinians in trying to end Israel’s colonization of Palestine. More on his trip at: www.ccmep.org/palestine.html