JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 17 — MyCARE, which is closely monitoring and following developments regarding the opening of the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, is ready to send a medical team to the Gaza Strip, should the crossing be opened.
MyCARE Board of Trustees member Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Zin Kandar said this was in line with the request of Dr Ashraf Alqudra, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, recently.
“He requested the dispatch of medical specialists to treat and carry out surgeries on the victims of the attacks of the Zionist regime as well as medical supplies.
“However, cooperation from the Malaysian government and the Ministry of Health will also facilitate the matter.
“Right now it has not been opened, we are urging for it to be opened immediately and we will try to participate in aid missions including critical medical aid,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Mohd Zin said the Rafah crossing is the only gateway for Palestinians in Gaza to the outside world.
The delivery of aid from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially from Malaysia, will have to go through Rafah crossing before entering Gaza, he added.
“With the conflict and the inhumane attacks by the Zionist regime on the people of Gaza, we really hope that the Rafah border crossing can be opened all the time by the Egyptian (authorities).
“It is a legal border crossing between Palestine and Egypt, and it is not appropriate for other countries to try to intervene and decide whether the Rafah crossing should be opened or not,” said Mohd Zin.
He added that the supply crisis in Gaza is expected to worsen, especially with the coming winter season.
“To date, more than 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and almost 500,000 people have lost their homes.
“There are urgent needs for supply of clean water, food, medicine as well as blankets,” he said.
As of last night, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,808, while the number of wounded has also risen to more than 10,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
