Palestinians In Belgium Urge Urgent Evacuation of Relatives Stranded in Gaza
(MENAFN) Palestinian residents in Belgium are calling for immediate government action to evacuate their relatives stranded in the Gaza Strip, where severe rainfall and powerful winds have flooded temporary shelters and damaged living conditions.
Representatives of Palestinian families have requested an urgent meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, seeking assistance for relatives who possess Belgian visas but remain unable to leave the territory.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Ismail El Najjar said hundreds of Palestinians holding Belgian visas had experienced damage to their shelters and personal belongings following extreme weather that began Friday night, according to reports.
He added that affected families had received no clear information from the federal authorities regarding arrangements to bring their relatives to Belgium.
"The cold is deadly, but fear and uncertainty are as devastating as bullets," El Najjar said, estimating that between 1,500 and 1,800 Palestinians with Belgian visas were residing in particularly dangerous areas across Gaza.
Prevot recognized that worsening weather conditions had added to the humanitarian crisis and expressed disappointment over the government's failure to reach an agreement on evacuation arrangements.
His office indicated that it was examining the possibility of meeting with a delegation representing the affected families.
The foreign minister had earlier suggested giving priority to the evacuation of 320 Palestinians. However, the proposal failed to move forward because of disagreements among coalition partners, including objections to accepting 13 Gaza students who possess Belgian student visas.
Representatives of Palestinian families have requested an urgent meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, seeking assistance for relatives who possess Belgian visas but remain unable to leave the territory.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Ismail El Najjar said hundreds of Palestinians holding Belgian visas had experienced damage to their shelters and personal belongings following extreme weather that began Friday night, according to reports.
He added that affected families had received no clear information from the federal authorities regarding arrangements to bring their relatives to Belgium.
"The cold is deadly, but fear and uncertainty are as devastating as bullets," El Najjar said, estimating that between 1,500 and 1,800 Palestinians with Belgian visas were residing in particularly dangerous areas across Gaza.
Prevot recognized that worsening weather conditions had added to the humanitarian crisis and expressed disappointment over the government's failure to reach an agreement on evacuation arrangements.
His office indicated that it was examining the possibility of meeting with a delegation representing the affected families.
The foreign minister had earlier suggested giving priority to the evacuation of 320 Palestinians. However, the proposal failed to move forward because of disagreements among coalition partners, including objections to accepting 13 Gaza students who possess Belgian student visas.
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