 
 
    
|
Attacks in Rafah Threaten Family Homes, World Vision School for the Deaf
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have left the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, after laying siege to the camp, armed with automatic weapons and helicopter missiles. At least 40 people were killed, including at least 10 children. In Rafah, 1,600 residents have been displaced from their homes as a result of home demolitions that were part of the siege.Among Rafah’s buildings in danger of being destroyed is the Al Amal Rehabilitation Center for the Deaf and Disabled, a partner of World Vision in Gaza. The center was evacuated after dozens of bulldozers entered the area backed by tanks and helicopters. The staff remain in their homes for safety and the school, which serves 130 hard-of-hearing students, is closed.
World Vision currently is unable to provide emergency relief to the families who have been displaced, many of whom are now living in the city’s municipal stadium.
This week, Bruce Wilkinson, World Vision’s senior vice president for international programs, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, asking the Bush administration to intervene with the Israeli government on behalf of Rafah’s citizens.
 |