April 19, 2002

Food Delivery, Tulkarm

[East Jerusalem, Palestine] Yesterday the same group of sponsors (Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Mennonite Central Committee, Caritas, and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine) took a nine-vehicle convoy into the city of Tulkarm where we delivered around 900 boxes of food. Each box contained enough food for one family to survive on for one week.

Tulkarm is an area where the Israeli army has frequently entered. Although this was currently an area of the West Bank that the army had withdrawn from, there was still a strong military presence. Soldiers didn't make our job any easier. In total, I'd say we waited about three hours at checkpoints during the day.

Nine-vehicle (two-truck) convoy from Jerusalem to Tulkarm

Entering Tulkarm

Tom gives instructions for delivery

Doug unloads a truck at Tulkarm

Friends eager to help

Soldiers stopped us at a remote checkpoint. Soldiers were in front, behind, and on hills along our side

We waited for over an hour before soldiers would allow this ambulance to pass through the checkpoint

Leaving Tulkarm