Brent Edinburgh to London bike riders help raise more than £50,000 for Palestinian children

The  Big Ride bikers completed their Edinburgh to London fundraising ride for the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) this afternoon at Archbishop's Park, Lambeth. They had cycled 435 miles in 9 days.

Among the more than 200 riders were Kam Datta and Alberto Zerda from Brent.  Kam raised more than £1000 and  Red Spokes, the organisers, hope that the total will reach £60,000.

You can still donate at:

https://www.justgiving.com/project/1977747

This is the statement about the project on the Just Giving website:

What is the problem the project is addressing?

Children in Gaza live with the constant threat of Israeli military assault and the ongoing blockade of basic necessities and medical care. There is widespread poverty and a closed environment where people and goods cannot travel freely. The UN estimates that 400,000 children in Gaza are showing signs of severe psychological distress including bed-wetting, nightmares, aggression, phobias, extreme withdrawal or anxiety and difficulty eating, sleeping or speaking.

How will this project solve the problem?

The situation for children in Gaza is an emergency. MECA will use your donations to provide emergency aid to families in Gaza and deliver medicine and medical supplies to hospitals. MECA will support community-based organisations that run creative writing programs, sports teams, art and music classes; to build playgrounds and much more. Meanwhile, The Big Ride is working to raise awareness in the UK about the situation for children in Gaza.

What is the potential long-term impact of this project?

This project will reduce the children's risk of disease and malnutrition by addressing basic needs for food, medical care and adequate shelter that could impact their development and long-term health. By involving children in creative community activities, the project will also protect children's long-term mental health, making them more resilient against the risks of severe anxiety, depression, aggression and withdrawal.

Congratulations to Kam and Alberto and all the other participants who ranged in age from 14 to 80.

Lucas calls for redoubling of Syrian aid efforts following Commons vote

Following Thursday’s parliamentary vote against military intervention in Syria, the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion is calling for a redoubling of humanitarian support to the region.

Caroline Lucas said:

“Whatever the political significance of (Thursday’s) vote, it’s vital that the focus urgently shifts now to humanitarian support for the victims of the conflict.

“There are millions of people who have lost their homes, or are in urgent need of medical care.
“We are hearing from development agencies, including Oxfam, that the situation facing refugees, in Syria and the wider region, is appalling. More than eight million people are now in desperate need of supplies.

“As a matter of urgency we should be increasing aid to Syria’s neighbours to help them support the families forced to seek refuge.

 “A huge amount of political energy has been focused on getting ready for a military strike.  If even just a fraction of those resources could be directed towards this humanitarian crisis, we could do much to reduce further suffering and loss of life."

Lucas also called for the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

“Crimes against humanity and international law have been committed.  Once there is evidence of responsibility for these appalling attacks, those responsible must be dealt with by the International Criminal Court.”