Dr Brian Iddon MP Joins Call for Humanitarian Aid for Gaza

Over last weekend the Muslim communities in Bolton raised a massive £15,000 for humanitarian aid in Gaza to be distributed by Islamic Relief.  Two dinners were held last Saturday at the 3D’s Hall in Daubhill, and collections were also taken at Bolton’s mosques.

Dr Brian Iddon, Member of Parliament for Bolton South East, attended a fund-raising dinner on Saturday afternoon and gave an illustrated presentation based on his recent visit to the Gaza strip.  His visit was covered by a ‘diary column’ in a recent Bolton News. 

Dr Iddon stressed to his audience that conditions in Gaza are bleak, with little or no fuel for public services, including garbage collection and ambulances, and people having to walk to work, often arriving late, including doctors, nurses and teachers.  Food distribution is down to the basics and, recently, the UN were unable to distribute food at all.  80% of Gazans now rely on charities and the UN to distribute their basic food supplies. 

If electricity fails at al-Shifa hospital for 30 mins, 80 people die and, if it fails for a week, 250 people die.  Dr Iddon, Secretary to the All-Party Britain-Palestine Group in Parliament has appealed several times for the British and other Governments to take action over this crisis, which has been inflicted by a total blockade of goods going in and out of Gaza by the Israeli Government.  “This collective punishment on the imprisoned people of Gaza is illegal under international law”, emphasised Dr Iddon.

The idea for the fundraising last weekend came from Saira Youssouf, who lives in Daubhill.  “It was her birthday last weekend”, said Dr Iddon, “and I am really pleased that her idea has been such a success.  My thanks go to her, her family and all those individuals and organisations that helped to make the fundraising weekend so successful. 

Mrs Youssouf said,

“The event could not could not have taken place without the support of my family and friends as well as the generosity of the public, many of whom I had never even met before. We hope that our contributions will make a difference to those who we may never meet but are definitely not forgotten”