Medical Aid for Palestinians
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charity that operates in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Its stated aim is to meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. Support for the organization originates from the British public, British Government, European Union and international aid organisations. It is run by a board of trustees headed by Mr Brian Constant CBE.
Medical Aid for Palestinians was founded in 1984 by Major Derek Cooper and his wife, Mrs. Pamela Cooper,[1] in the wake of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre in Lebanon. They deliver basic health and medical care to Palestinian refugees and they strive to establish a permanent medical infrastructure in Palestinian communities by training health care practitioners, teaching medical vocational skills and addressing the requirements of particularly vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities.
Medical Aid for Palestinians offers practical medical support to Palestinians and other victims of conflict and displacement by working with local non-governmental organisations and the Palestinian Health Service on the following priority areas in the West Bank and Gaza strip:
- Provide health care in isolated rural communities of the West Bank;
- Improve nutrition among refugees in Gaza;
- Contribute to psycho-social support efforts for women and children affected by the conflict;
- Assist people with congenital disabilities and disabilities due to injury.
In the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon, Medical Aid for Palestinians works on the following areas:
- Improve environmental health;
- Support primary health care;
- Build capacity to improve income generation;
- Assist people with congenital disabilities and disabilities due to injury.
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[edit] Current Projects 2007
The Gaza Strip
MAP is currently investing over £860,000 in seven projects across the strip. Five are addressing ‘significant gaps in service provision’ (SGSP), one is focusing on ‘community based health development’ (CBHD) and one is providing ‘emergency relief’ (ER).
The projects include improving the environmental health conditions in Al Zarqa, where alongside ‘Palestine Save the Children Foundation’ (PSCF) MAP is providing mains sewage connections, road paving, health and hygiene education.
MAP is also working with local partners on health and hygiene in Al Zawaydeh, improving the nutritional status of marginalized children around Khan Younis and providing psychosocial support for Gazan children, parents and teachers.
The West Bank
There are six MAP active projects in the West Bank with 5 focused on CBHD and 1 on SGSP.
MAP is working with the Palestinians Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in training community health workers. In Yatta town and the surrounding villages MAP is partnering the ‘Ard El Atfal’ NGO in providing prenatal and postnatal care. MAP and the ‘Mothers’ School Society’ are funding a school programme in the Nablus district, while also contributing to the emergency health services of 3 villages west of Ramallah in partnership with the ‘Health Work Committees’.
In total MAP has invested over £263,000 on these projects to date.
Jerusalem
MAP, in partnership with the Church of the Redeemer, has invested over £18,500 in continuing to provide healthcare support to the elderly in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Lebanon
MAP is presently investing over £300,000 in 16 active projects in Lebanon.
In the aftermath of the destruction of Nahr El Bared camp MAP is working with ‘Nabaa – Development Action Without Border’ in post conflict evaluation.
Meanwhile in Bourge Al Barajneh and Tyre MAP and the ‘Women’s Health Organisation’ (WHO) are running a project developing a health visitor programme for community nurses. MAP is also working with the Lebanese Red Cross in training paramedics in Sidon and the Bekaa, while running an awareness campaign on dental health in Beirut and throughout the south of the country.
Longer-term projects are focusing on business development services for women in Beirut, developing grass roots civil sector organisations throughout the country and providing start up grants for small businesses in Southern Lebanon, which is still recovering from the effects of the 2006 war.
Iraq/Syria
Following the basic needs assessment conducted in al-Waleed Camp, MAP continues to work towards proving emergency relief and healthcare services. MAP has organised regular visits to the camp from a doctor and a gynaecologist.
[edit] Criticism
NGO Monitor, an Israeli non-governmental organization with the stated aim of monitoring other non-governmental organizations operating in the Middle East, disputes Medical Aid for Palestinians describing itself as "non-political" and "non-partisan", due to the alleged involvement of the group "in advocacy on behalf of the Palestinians instead of providing medical care and aid to those in need." [1]
