MiaFarrow.org

Humanitarian and Advocacy Information

mia farrow

mia farrow's images on flickr

|    DARFUR ARCHIVES
|    PHOTOS     
|    
LINKS     
|    
EDITORIALS     
|    
WHAT YOU CAN DO     
|    
DIVESTING
|    FEATURES     
|    
JOINT STATEMENT         
|    VIDEOS
|    POWERPOINT

Follow Mia's blog

Click here to see my photo journal from Central African Republic and Chad
Read "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin
View a timeline of events in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur
 

Archives

  • December 2017
  • January 2013
  • July 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • September 2007

« Newer Posts | Older Posts »

October 15, 2009
October 15, 2009

Gaza: The Tunnels

Because so few supplies are permitted to enter through the four authorized 'crossings' and because these crossings are opened only on certain days, certain, yet to be determined hours, and for certain undisclosed purposes, the needs of the people in the confined Gaza strip cannot not be met.

So tunnels have become the main supply routes for Gaza. There are between 300-800 tunnels running between Gaza at the Egyptian border near the town of Rafah. Everything comes through the tunnels: fuel, cattle, motor bikes,bread, gasoline -everything. Tunnel owners benefit hugely. They are about 30 meters -or 90 feet deep and about a mile in length.
Owners of the tunnels make a hefty profit but the children who work long hours in them are paid little And the tunnels are dangerous. I spoke with several child/workers who told me that the air is terrible to breathe and "so we smoke". The work is difficult and hours are long -often exceeding 16 hours,


They told me "the men who operate the tunnels use drugs and they give the children 'happy pills' to make them stay awake and feel better. Sometimes they also give us alchohol" they giggled. But their giggling ended and the boys became serious as they told me how they needed to work to help support their families.
"I am the eldest son so I work in the tunnels because I want my little brothers to go to school" one young boy told me.
The tunnels are bombed continually by Israeli forces and scores of tunnel- children have been killed. One child was killed just yesterday and 7 more were injured. When the bombs fall the boys sometimes flee through the tunnel to the Egyptian side "because they never bomb there". But they risk being apprehended by the Egyptian police who "beat us and use electric shocks to make us give them the names of the men who hire us. "

 
 
«Newer Posts | Older Posts »