Andorran NGO urges government to act on Gaza evacuation dossier before winter

Hope Palestina’s spokesperson in Andorra, Maria Burgués, expressed concern over the lack of response from the government after the organisation submitted a new dossier on 18 October containing documentation for several vulnerable families from Gaza. The group says the evacuation dossier has been with the government for a month and calls for diplomatic contacts to begin now so they can act in advance.

The aim, Burgués explained, is to prepare for the possible evacuation of people who could leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing if it is opened "temporarily and partially for humanitarian evacuations" in the coming weeks. She warned that the arrival of winter is making conditions for displaced families worse.

"Winter is arriving there too, and it is arriving for people who have no home, who live under a tent where it rains," Burgués said. She added that volunteers receive videos showing tents completely flooded and that many children cannot even dry their clothes because the rain does not stop. She also cited hunger, a lack of resources and the continued delay in humanitarian aid deliveries.

Burgués stressed that any opening of the Rafah crossing could be "a critical but brief moment" and that authorities must anticipate it because, if it happens, it "could literally mean saving lives." She noted that other countries have already activated procedures to receive people in need: "Spain has hosted various minors and families to receive medical assistance," and international volunteers are "trying to do everything they can."

The dossier handed to the government includes documentation for nine families, along with medical, school and UNRWA certificates. Hope Palestina urges the authorities to start diplomatic steps now to ensure timely evacuation and assistance if the crossing is opened.