Venezuela ships humanitarian aid

Venezuela shipped on Tuesday an initial 12 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians affected by Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Venezuelan News Agency said.

Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Elias Jaua, speaking from the Maiquetia International Airport, said the aid consists of food, medicine, clothing, footwear and personal hygiene items.

"The Venezuelan people know how to fulfill their humanitarian duty toward the Palestinian people," said Jaua, adding that another 15-ton aid shipment was expected to be underway in the next 48 hours.

The aid is being flown to Egypt, which has offered to coordinate its distribution to the Palestinians in Gaza, which shares a border with Egypt.

Accompanying Jaua was his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, who said Venezuela "has shown its brotherhood with Palestine".

The aid "is a reflection of the principles of the Bolivarian Revolution launched by president Hugo Chavez, and we are proud of the ties that we now have established with President Nicolas Maduro," al-Maliki said.

Jaua said member countries of the Union of South American Nations are set to condemn the military attack on Gaza, which has killed nearly 2,000 people, mostly civilians, and wounded more than 10,000 since July 8. The action is expected during a meeting in Uruguay next week.

Xinhua

(China Daily 08/14/2014 page11)