According to Kamil El Shami, representative of SOS Children’s Villages in the Gaza Strip, SOS co-workers, who have been unable to reach the village since the hostilities started more than three weeks ago, have returned to their work. Also, for the first time in weeks, SOS mothers and aunts were able to leave the village to run errands, including grocery shopping and withdrawing money at banks. A number of checkpoints into the Gaza Strip have opened, making it easier to secure food and other basic items for the village.
Facilities run by SOS Children's Village Rafah, including the Hermann Gmeiner School, the kindergarten and the social centre that had all remained closed throughout the three weeks of violence, will re-open and resume their work with the neighbouring communities as of Tuesday. Everyone remains cautious though, says El Shami.