Final Stages

We are moving very soon to Latakia, the Syrian port from which we will depart to Egypt, but at this morning's meeting the complexity and difficulty of the task ahead became startlingly apparrent.

Negotiations with the Egyptian authorities have been ongoing for over a week, but currently, no agreement has been formally signed. We have a good idea of where we stand on some issues though. We were told that no vehicles except ambulances would be able to get through, and that only medical aid would be allowed with them. If this is true, it would pose a huge problem. About 70% of the convoy vehicles are not ambulances. Much of the aid is medical, but then again a great deal is not. We have tonnes of clothes, spare parts, food supplies and generators, as well as the vehicles themselves of course. There are jeeps, lorries, vans, minibuses, pick-ups, even a rubbish collection truck. All of these vehicles were going to be left in Gaza, and the thought that they might not, together with a lot of the aid, is a real blow at this stage. Some people are even considering selling up their vehicles here in Syria and using the money to purchase more medicines. This is made all the more difficult by the fact that nothing is certain - there is always the possibility that we will be barred from even entering Egypt.

What is clear though is that we have a very difficult week ahead of us. So far, we have been passing through friendly countries, and have been fed, watered and refueled at every turn. When we set sail for Egypt, we will heading for the belly of the beast. They will do everything they can to make our stay in Egypt as uncomfortable and unpleasant as possiblem, but we were expecting that. There is an eve-of-battle feeling around the camp, and with good reason.