Qalandiya, Sun 21.4.13, Morning

Qalandiya 5am

A very cold and rainy morning and the stall owner selling cakes called to us: "Rain! no workers!"

There were 4 EAPPI people and we  were all amazed at how happy the few men were  when they came in and immediately went through to the checking booths.We got smiles from those people whom we know personally as if it was us who saw to it that the checkpoint was empty.

At 6 o'clock a family with 2 seriously ill children came in- one in their arms and one in a wheelchair. We pointed them out to the soldier in the booth and as she picked up the phone we thought she called  for someone to open the humanitarian gate for them since they couldn't fold or push the wheelchair through the narrow access. Some time later I called the Police headquarters at Qalandia and was told that someone will come. And sure enough we saw 2 soldiers approaching. But no- they brought breakfast for the soldiers in the booth and  did not even look in the direction of the family with the seriously disabled children!

Later arrived the civil administration officer and we heard him asking the soldier why she didn't call him. I understood that the phone call was about breakfast delivery and not some two crippled Palestinian children. 

Shuafat  refugee camp

A busy morning. No, the municipality did not send trucks to clean the streets and on this rainy morning  it is a very sad place to see. The only  warm ,clean and well equipped place was the General Health Insurance clinic we visited . The staff were so amazed to see us that they were afraid to  talk and were happy to see us go