After travelling through 13 countries ”unnecessary red tape” has meant a team of Dundee firefighters have narrowly missed out on their goal of delivering humanitarian aid to Palestine.
Jim Malone of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which organised the project, said there was a cloud hanging over the five-strong team, which set off from Tayside last week bound for Dundee’s twin city of Nablus.
The disappointed group arrived in London on Monday having been denied the opportunity to drive their specially-equipped fire engine the last 50 miles from the Israeli port of Haifa.
Israeli customs officers impounded the vehicle, which is expected to take several weeks, leaving the firefighters no option but to return home.
The frustration felt by the FBU team is mirrored by that of the Nablus Municipality Fire Department, which was to be the recipient of the aid that, in addition to the fire engine, included fire fighting equipment and children’s toys.
Mr Malone said: ”There is a disappointment that we could not drive to Nablus, but overall it has been a very tiring but worthwhile trip.
”There was a general willingness on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to allow us to finish, which was very encouraging.
”In fact, Israel do not normally support aid trips into Palestine, and we understand that this was the first time they had done so.
”Okay, we were unable to drive to Nablus, but the engine and the aid will be handed over in the next few weeks.”
The FBU bought two ”retired” fire engines from Tayside Fire and Rescue with the intention of driving them to their Palestinian counterparts. While both appliances set off from Dundee, the journey proved too much for one of the engines.
Mr Malone continued: ”The roads between Albania and Montenegro were like a moonscape. It was amazing we got both engines through, but when we got to Greece it was clear one of the engines had a punctured radiator.
”We were on a tight schedule and had no way of repairing the damage, so we had to leave it behind. We did, however, manage to get all the equipment transferred and got going.”
One of the first stops for the team after arriving back in the UK was a visit to the Houses of Parliament where they met with politicians who had backed the project, including Dundee West MP Jim McGovern.
The project has been applauded by authorities and organisations across the world.
In the Middle East the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian prime minister, the Israeli defence minister and the mayor of Nablus all applauded the FBU’s efforts.