ACTION ALERT

For Immediate Release
15 May 2004

Urgent Appeal for Donations to Help Palestinian Refugees in Rafah

A massive operation by Zionist Israeli occupation forces to destroy hundreds of Palestinian homes in Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza strip is currently ongoing. The operation's main goal is to create a so-called "buffer zone" near the border with Egypt, a plan which the Israeli occupation army formulated in 2001. Parts of this plan have already been carried out in piecemeal fashion over the past three years. Over 11,000 Palestinian residents of Rafah refugee camp have so far been made homeless by the occupation forces.

The recent escalation against the Palestinian refugees of Rafah camp coincides with the 56th anniversary of the Nakba (Catastrophe), when over 800,000 thousand Palestinians were expelled from homes and lands by Zionist colonial forces. Today, the people of Rafah camp, all of whom are refugees from parts of Palestine occupied in 1948, find themselves scurrying for refuge once more as Israeli bulldozers demolish their homes away from home. These acts, the ongoing ethnic cleansing, represent grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, humanitarian international law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition has set up an Emergency Rafah Relief Fund. We call on all people of conscience to help the refugees of Rafah by donating to this fund. Any amount you donate is important, will be directed to UNRWA for distribution to the victims who need all help to get through the coming months, homeless again.

Please make your checks or money orders payable to "PRRC"; write "Emergency Rafah Relief Fund" in the memo section; and send your donation to:

Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 1172
Orange, CT 06477

You may also use your credit card to donate. Please go to http://al-awda.org/donatenow

PRRC is a non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are fully tax-deductible.

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC
are tax-deductible.