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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Rafah opening bodes well for trapped OFWs in Middle East--Villafuerte 

Rafah opening bodes well for trapped OFWs in Middle East--Villafuerte 

Published Nov 3, 2023 04:01 am

At A Glance

  • Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte says he is looking forward to the quick and safe repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the conflict in the Middle East with the limited opening of the Rafah Crossing. 

IMG-88ad930a3f28bb12466e1c7dc3b24ff6-V (1).jpgCamarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (PPAB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte says he is looking forward to the quick and safe repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the conflict in the Middle East with the limited opening of the Rafah Crossing. 

“With the limited opening to refugees—at last—of the Rafah Crossing near the Egyptian border for their safe way out of the heavily bombarded Palestinian enclave, I am looking forward to our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) officialdom expediting efforts to bring to safety our kababayans (countrymen) caught up in the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Villafuerte said. 

The Rafah Crossing was opened on Nov. 1 under a Qatar-brokered agreement, with an initial 500 injured Palestinians, dual citizens and foreign nationals, including two Filipino members of the international organization Doctors Without Borders, allowed to leave Gaza Strip via Egypt. 

This happened after three weeks of appeals by global leaders led by American President Joe Biden and international institutions like the United Nations (UN) on the opening of a humanitarian corridor for the exit of refugees and entry of aid like food and water. 

The Rafah Crossing is the only border opening on the south of the Gaza Strip, which is the Palestinian territory of over two million people. It is wedged between Egypt, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea. 

The other Palestinian territory is the West Bank on the border of Jordan. 

The ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas rebel fighters was triggered by the latter's rocket attacks into Israel last Oct. 7 from the Palestinian-occupied Gaza. 

Villafuerte at the same called on the DFA to extend all types of assistance possible at this point to OFWs in the West Bank and neighboring Lebanon af the DFA declared “Alert Level 3” on the voluntary evacuation of Filipinos on the southern border of that country. 

This was to ensure their safety amid the escalating gun battles there between Israeli soldiers and militants of the Hamas-allied terrorist group Hezbollah.   

There are about 800 Filipinos in southern Lebanon, according to the Philippine Embassy in Beirut. Authorities have also advised the rest of about 17,000 OFWs based in that country to refrain from traveling to the south near the Israeli border.  

Related Tags

Israel HAMAS lray villafuerte Hezbollah
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