UNICEF Goodwill Amb. Mahmoud Kabil Visits Palestinian Territories

Description: 18 September 2009 - UNICEF: UNICEF's regional Goodwill Ambassador, Egyptian Actor Mahmoud Kabil's visits the occupied Palestinian territory to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians, especially Bedouins. The Bedouin are amongst the most marginalized people in the West Bank. When UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mahmoud Kabil this week visited Al Maleh community, which is next to a military base in the Jordan Valley, he heard about the difficulties families face in getting basic services. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahmoud Kabil, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: This visit in particular is a human tragedy that we are all witnessing here. No health care, no water, no way of transportation. In Qalqilya, Kabil spoke to mothers and children at Jinsafut health clinic. And he visited the barrier that separates Israel and the West Bank. The barrier is near Ras Atiyyeh school and it has a profound daily effect on many students lives. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Huda Marabeh, Student: We face many problems in entering the gate. I pass through the gate every day from and to school and I am searched. And I wait at the checkpoint. If I have forgotten the permit the Israeli military will not let me pass through the gate to reach my school. Kabil, who is not only one of Egypts most popular actors but also a veteran of the Egyptian military, described the access restrictions he witnessed as a shame to humanity in the 21st century.