Bristol kebab seller returns to Gaza on second aid trip

A Bristol kebab-seller who drove an ambulance loaded with supplies to Gaza is to return to the region in an articulated lorry.

This time around, Sakir Yildirim, 40, will be joined by several other people to make the 8,000-mile round trip as part of an international convoy organized by charity Viva Palestina.

As well as the lorry, Mr Yildirim's convoy will include a motorbike, pushbike and hopefully a minibus filled with skilled people.

Mr Yildirim, who lives in Fishponds, said: "We're the Bristol contingent of Viva Palastina. We're going to try to be the best one and we're hoping to get a big send off from the city."

The group has a translator and war artist going along and Mr Yildirim is urging anyone with a skill who wants to get involved to get in touch.

The married father of three will leave for Gaza on Friday, December 4, but not before loading his 44-tonne lorry with donated supplies including electric wheelchairs, babies' sleeping bags, tents and even two pallets of toothpaste.

He said: "Last winter, I saw the horrendous devastation caused by the Israeli bombardment. The wrecked buildings, people living in tents, children who have lost their fathers.

"Food, medicine, building materials, and many other necessities of life are in short supply. That's why I wanted to take a lorry. It's the only possible way to take more aid."

The route will take the convoy to London where hundreds of others from all over the UK will join up before heading to Gaza. From there, the group will travel through Europe, Syria, Jordan and Egypt to arrive into the strip on December 27.

Mr Yildirim is familiar with the potential danger he faces after hearing constant machine-gun fire and bombs going off on his last trip.

He said: "My family want me to go and help them but don't want me to go completely.

"If anything happens, at least I'll be dying trying to help. I sleep better knowing that I've helped people,"

Mr Yildirim has also enlisted the help of a local Bristol graffiti artist Iggy, who has started painting the lorry's trailer with an inspirational design.

He said: "We want to make it a bit different and show a bit of Bristol. We're going to get Iggy to paint the Clifton suspension bridge."

So far the artist has drawn cartoon character "Handala", an iconic symbol of Palestinian identity, onto the back of the lorry.