Gaza's children fly for kite world record

By Anne Barker, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, July 31, 2009

Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip have succeeded in breaking the world record for the number of kites flown in one place and are now set to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

The United Nations organised the event to give something positive to children who are on summer holiday but banned from leaving Gaza because of the Israeli blockade.

Thousands of children gathered on Gaza's beaches with their kites ready, waiting for the official countdown and whistle.

The previous record was set last year when about 700 kites flew in Germany.

But the UN's John Ging says he is confident the kids in Gaza had thousands in the air.

"The kids here are world class. We've always said that," he said.

"Today they've broken a world record. Let's unleash the rest of their potential."

Authorities had combed the beach for days before the event to check there was no unexploded ordnance left over from the war in January.