Muslim pilgrims stranded at airport

Accra, Dec. 25, GNA - About 1,000 Muslim pilgrims scheduled for this year's Hajj, remain stranded in Accra as the deadline for the closure of the airport in Mecca draws closer.

According to the pilgrims, the airport was supposed to be closed at midnight on Monday (today), meaning that those who were not able to make it to the Holy Land by then might miss their chance to attend this year's pilgrimage.

About 400 pilgrims were airlifted to Mecca on Monday afternoon by two flights, leaving the remaining 1,000 pilgrims behind. The remaining pilgrims told the Ghana News Agency that they expected to be airlifted in the evening in order to finally make their trip to Mecca.

The pilgrims, most of whom had been waiting at the premises of the Aviance Cargo Village for over a week, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they felt disappointed and letdown after paying 20,000,000 cedis each for their trip.

The Pilgrims, blamed the situation on the Hajj Board, with some saying there was the need to dissolve the Board and form a new one, since they believed that the present board was not adequately catering for their needs.

They said none of the Hajj Board members had ever gone to ascertain the conditions in which they were living within the premises of Aviance Cargo, leaving them to fend for themselves.

The pilgrims added that the Board members' mobile phones were switched-off whenever efforts were made to contact them. A few, however, said they believed that it was only fair to give members of the Board a chance to explain the situation at the appropriate time.

According to media reports, which were corroborated by pilgrims interviewed, two women pilgrims had died during the wait. The cause of their death could, however, not be immediately ascertained. Most of the pilgrims came from outside the Greater Accra Region and had no choice but to pitch camp at their present location, where adequate provision had not been made for such a large crowd to remain for a long period.

Six structures that could only house a few persons at a time was all that was available to serve as places of convenience for the pilgrims, while there was no appropriate sewage system, gradually creating a stench.

Sanitation also kept worsening by the day as food wrappers were littered all over the premises.

The Pilgrims were also at the mercy of the weather, as they slept in tents and makeshift structures. There was also no lighting system at night, plunging the whole place into darkness and leaving them with little security from criminals.

According to some of the Pilgrims, their elders had informed them that efforts were being made to request from the authorities in Mecca, an extension of the time for the closure of the airport. They said they had no choice but to hope that the situation ended favourably.