Children in Gaza attempt to set Guinness world record for kite flying
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Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip sought to break the world record for kite flying in a rare moment of respite from the war-battered enclave's daily life
More than 6,000 boys and girls gathered on a sandy beach in northern Gaza to fly more than 3,000 kites, according to the officials of the UN agency that organised the event
Picture: EPA
If the figure is confirmed by Guinness the event will hold the new record for the highest number of kites flown simultaneously - the previous high of 710 kites was reached in northern Germany last year
Picture: EPA
The colourful kites were built as part of activities at the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) summer camps which hosted more than 240,000 children this year.
Picture: EPA
Some of the kites included designs such as the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag
Picture: EPA
The Guinness Book of World Records said it had received an application from Gaza for "most kites flown simultaneously." Guinness was unable to send a judge to the attempt due to travel restrictions into Gaza
Picture: EPA
But the children would be able to break the record even without a judge by verifying the accomplishment in other ways, said Guinness spokeswoman Karolina Theli
Picture: EPA
Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the U.N. agency, said every child at the event had their kite registered in accordance with Guinness protocol, which he said event organizers followed with "military precision"
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"The symbolism of thousands of children in one of the world's most locked up communities, creating beautiful kites, letting them soar upward, is truly beautiful," he said
Picture: EPA
Many of the children in the Hamas-ruled territory still bear psychological scars from Israel's devastating January offensive where some 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including more than 300 children
Picture: EPA
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1 comments:
Fantastic collection of photos! From a purely kite-flying perspective, I witnessed - no - took part in - a similar event here in Adelaide, South Australia. It was organized by Scouts Austraia, and also involved an attempt to break the same world record.
The event was titled Windjam07 and was successful I believe, at the time. As you can see in the photos, the kites were all on very short strings, to minimize the chance of tangles. Of course, the downside is that you need slightly more consistent winds to ensure every kite stays up! On the day, the winds were extremely light, and it was fortunate that anything flew at all. A few people were cheeky and extended their strings after purchasing the kite!
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