Who is Ramona Okumura? US volunteer trapped in Gaza escapes warzone after being stranded for 3 weeks
HONOLULU, HAWAII: A former Hawaii teacher who went to make prosthetic limbs for children in Gaza has escaped the warzone after being trapped there for three weeks.
Ramona Okumura was volunteering for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund which manufactures prosthetic limbs with Dr Barbara Preston Zind when the war broke out.
The pair was sent to a UN compound after the first few days of the attacks. However, on Tuesday night, October 31, they were told by authorities that some Americans might be able to enter Egypt.
What did Ramona Okumura say after crossing the border?
Ramona and Dr Zind were seen crossing the border through a live social media feed hours later on Wednesday morning, November 1.
The teacher texted her family saying she was finally on her way to Cairo. “Luv to everyone who helped me get out. Pray for the people of Gaza who now don’t have us as shields from harm. Good night", she said.
According to Ramona’s family who stayed in touch with her through a messaging app, there have been many sleepless nights while they waited for her to escape, reports Hawaii News Now.
She was one of the many foreigners trapped in Gaza as they waited nervously for the humanitarian corridor to eventually open.
What did Ramona Okumura's niece say?
“It was really something I don’t have the words to say but it was it was it was a relief,” said Ramona’s niece, Akemi Hiatt, adding “Really seeing her cross and hearing her words made it very real."
Akemi continued, "We’re hearing from her on the ground that there are missiles firing all around her, there’s less food, they’re starting to ration food, there’s no clean water, and people in her contingent are getting gastro intestinal diseases. So there’s like a lot of sort of serious conditions that are unfolding and so it’s very frustrating to kind of wait with that news.”
“We really hoped that this would be what would happen, but we never knew, you know,” said Ramona’s another niece, Erika Okumura.
"It’s been a lot of feeling for everyone in pain, and so much joy now, and joy that I wish for all the families involved," added Erika who believes her aunt will head back to Gaza when it is safe to do so as she's spent her life dedicated to building mobility devices for children.
"Building a limb for a child, that is restoring their ability to go to school, their ability to play with friends, that is giving them truly just a vehicle and restoring motion to their body,” she told KUOW, adding "She has a really big heart for children."
"That's her life's work. That's really what she's about: restoring mobility, which is restoring play and restoring quality of life to kids," continued Erika.
