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MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 5) Thirty-four evacuees from war-ravaged Gaza Strip arrived in Manila at around 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday.
The evacuees, consisting of six families, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on board Etihad flight EY-428 from Cairo.
“We are very happy to be here and we thank the government,” Filipina Janet Abu Shawez told reporters.
“War is not for children. My daughter is frightened by the non-stop explosions. There's now a lull because of the ceasefire, but before, we are all scared non-stop,” she said.
Shawez said the house of one of her neighbors, suspected to be a Hamas militant, was bombed by Israeli troops.
She said she has Filipino friends who remain in Gaza City unable to leave because of skirmishes.
The evacuees were welcomed by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, led by special envoy to the Middle East Ambassador Roy Cimatu, and staff from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Philippine National Red Cross.
Nineteen of them are female and 24 are minors, including four children aged three years or younger, said Foreign Affairs spokesman Bayani Mangibin.
They also include two Palestinian husbands of Filipinos, he said.
Other children are between four and 11 years old, and 12 between 12 and 17 years old.
The evacuees spent several minutes at the NAIA’s immigration center to process their travel papers.
The 34 fled the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip through the designated safe zone in Rafah, on the Egyptian border, according to Cimatu.
This is the second batch of evacuees whom the Philippine government has helped to flee the Gaza Strip. A first batch of 17 left more than a week ago and are back in the Philippines.
Some of the evacuees would be temporarily lodged at the OWWA Hostel in Pasay City. Fourteen evacuees are from Leyte province will get transport assistance from the labor department and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Eighteen more evacuees are set to arrive Thursday, Philippine special envoy Roy Cimatu said.
There were 108 Filipinos in Gaza before the evacuations. With a report form Alex Villafania, INQUIRER.net
