MER-C Volunteers In Gaza Return To Indonesia For Security Reasons

Volunteers of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) Farid Zanzabil Al Ayudi (right) spoke at a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday (13/12/2023). (ANTARA/Katriana)

JAKARTA - Volunteers of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), Farid Zanzabil Al Ayudi, finally returned to their homeland.

"The reason I left was because of security," Farid said at a press conference in Jakarta as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 13.

Farid was one of three MER-C volunteers on duty at the Indonesian Hospital in the Gaza Strip during Israel's attack on the Palestinian enclave.

The other two, namely Fikri Rofiul Haq and Reza Aldilla Kurniawan, chose to remain in Gaza to continue humanitarian work in Gaza.

Farid departed from the airport in Cairo on Tuesday at around 8.30 local time and arrived at Soekarno Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday at around 24.00 WIB.

Farid recounted his journey back to his homeland, starting when he and two of his colleagues and Gazans were evacuated from Indonesian hospitals in Gaza, until when he was offered evacuation to Egypt.

When evacuated from the northern Gaza Strip to the southern Gaza Strip, Farid admitted that it was quite difficult to pass an inspection at a closely guarded checkpoint by Israel.

Luckily he and two of his colleagues made it past the checkpoint and then looked for shelter at a school behind a European Hospital in Khan Yunis, the southern Gaza Strip, along with other Gazans.

While in the southern Gaza Strip, Farid and other MER-C volunteers continued to help Gazans in shelters by creating a food distribution program for Gazans with the assistance provided by the Indonesian people through the MER-C.

Farid was finally offered to be evacuated out of Gaza, but could not immediately get out of Gaza.

"I can't go straight out of the Rafah, I didn't leave the Gaza Strip. I waited about two weeks to get confirmation that I could get out of the Gaza Strip," Farid said.

Farid revealed that until now Israel has expanded its attack on the southern Gaza Strip. Therefore, for security reasons, Farid chose to return to Indonesia.