#interpal
Editorial: September 2016
As children in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan prepare for a new term, your kind generosity has provided school supplies, safe transport and fee support to struggling families. A regular school routine establishes stability and helps displaced and traumatised children feel a sense of community. However, with the occupation restricting the entry of 300,000 textbooks into Gaza, half a million students will have to begin the new term ill-equipped and under-prepared.
The start of the school year is also a time to remember the hundreds of children who lost their lives in the 2014 war. Also in our minds are the countless children held in military detention by the army, who should be attending school in order to develop and lead full and fulfilling lives.
As we enter the Qurbani season, we want to bring the smiles back to these children’s faces. Eid is a season of joy in which to celebrate with food, friends and family, and our volunteers on the ground are set to bring fresh meat and gifts to needy families in the Holy Land.
With your help, we can come together for Palestine. Share your blessings with those who truly need it. Your kind gift could mean the world to a family on Eid morning.
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Editorial: November
- Ibrahim Hewitt, Chairman of the Trustees
As the siege of Gaza enters its 10th year, the blockade looks to only grow tighter. Frequently referred to as the ‘largest open air prison’ on Earth, Gaza’s population is reaching crisis levels. The Strip’s two millionth resident, Walid Shaath, born just last month now faces a harsh winter ahead.
The birth of baby Walid calls to attention the growing concern as to what a lack of resources and opportunities will engender in an already frustrated population. This milestone should encourage us to revitalise our efforts to ensure that baby Walid can pursue a future free from oppression and occupation.
Recently we marked a milestone of our own. For 22 years you have helped us in our mission to help Palestinians in need. Whilst it is dispiriting that the situation on the ground has lasted this long, it is important to keep our commitment to the cause. I personally wish to thank you all for your support over the years and hope that you will continue to help us for as long as our work is needed.
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WINTER IN PALESTINE: A Swedish Perspective
- Hanan (Interpal A/W 2016 Intern)
When you think of ‘winter’, you are probably imaginingSweden. Snow, ice, reindeer, we have them all. During winter-time the temperature falls below zero, encasing the land in a thick blanket of snow that doesn’t melt for months. You might think that by our standards, the Middle Eastern winter in Palestine isn’t so much of a big deal. How wrong you’d be…
The big difference is that we have lots of warm clothes, cosy, heated houses and enough food to keep us snug and comfortable for the whole season. The Palestinians, despite it rarely snowing, face months of relentless rainandwind, with inadequate shelter and protection due to ramshackle housing and poor electrical facilities.
Despite the freezing temperatures in Sweden, we rarely ever feel cold. However, for the Palestinians, the drop in temperature has a severe impact, resulting in disease epidemics,poor sanitation anddisruption to healthcare and educational services. Back home in Sweden, we have buses to take us safely to schoolandploughs to clear the roads so that daily life can continue as normal despite the severity of the weather. The people of Palestine however, especially in Gaza, face environmental hazards and are particularly prone tocatastrophic flooding. Left unprotected from these seasonal risks, Palestinians are forced to always consider what their next step will be. The most we think about in Sweden is whether our boots will be slightly damp from the snow.
The2014 assault on Gaza left thousands of buildings damaged and rendered houses unliveable. During the winter months, conditions deteriorate until people are living precarious existences in the midst of poverty. I cannot imagine a winter exposed to the elements in this way. The thought of it makes me shiver.
This winter, Interpal are asking that we come together for Palestine to bring people #OutOfTheCold. You can donate to our Winter Aid appeal by calling us on 0208 961 9993, visiting our website www.interpal.orgor clicking the link on our Facebook page. Our hands might be cold but our hearts will surely be warm if we come together to help Palestinians in need.
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“PALESTINE IS…HOPE”
This Autumn, Interpal’s illustration competition asked aspiring artists and illustrators to contemplate what ‘Palestine is’ to them.
On the final day of our competition we were delighted to receive several submissions from an orphanage located just outside of Hebron in the West Bank.
The children had heard about our competition and sent in their drawings, with messages of hope, light, and a positive vision for Palestinian future.
Take a look at their drawings and let us know what you think. We will be sending a thank you card to the orphans in the New Year and we’d love to include messages from our supporters in the UK.
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Lebanon Diaries: Final Day
On our last day in Lebanon we visited a family living in Jal al-Bahr, an unofficial Palestinian refugee camp located on the Tyre coast.
With no barrier to protect the camp from the harsh winds of winter, houses are destroyed and damaged year after year. Every winter, crashing waves, higher each year, come pounding into the camp, wrecking everything in their path. The flimsy homes people have made for themselves afford them little shelter from the elements. Families are forced to watch their homes disappear every year with little hope of proper reconstruction or repair.
Just imagine yourself in their place, the fear you would feel for your children if they lived in these conditions.
To donate to the delegation, visit http://tinyurl.com/WinterAidForRefugees
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Lebanon Diaries: Day Two
During our visit to the Al-Bared refugee camp, we were welcomed by the excited grin of two year old Yusuf. His father, a man named Ghaz rode up to us on a motorcycle.
At the time of the Lebanese Civil War, (1975-1990), Ghaz was only one. The violence in the streets meant that when he developed a severe fever his father was unable to seek medical help. The lack of available treatment left Ghaz partially paralysed from the waist down. To this day, he has not been able to use his legs.
Nevertheless, Ghaz has been blessed with seven children. The family are pushed to rely on charitable assistance due to an irregular income and a lack of opportunities. Ghaz tries as best as he can to make ends meet but the family are inevitably feeling the strain as the winter approaches.
The different families we meet and the homes we visit seem to me to be a test that Allah (SWT) wants us to learn from. It reminds me of a saying of Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) who said: “Take heed from the lessons of those who came before you, before you become a lesson for those who come after you.”
My nephew, Isa who is five years old unfortunately could not contribute towards my £5000 fundraising target. However, after whispering to me that he wanted to give as much as he possibly could, he donated his own toys which I gave in turn to little Yusuf and his siblings - the smiles that spread across their faces were all I needed to know that they loved them.
- Abdul Majid (Glasgow Fundraiser)
To donate towards the team’s Winter Aid distribution in Lebanon, visit: http://tinyurl.com/WinterAidForRefugees
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Lebanon Diaries: Day 1 - The Shatila Refugee Camp
Our first stop was the Shatila refugee camp on the southern side of Beirut. After the glitz and glamour of the capital, the long road to the camp quickly gave way to clear signs of deprivationand severe poverty.
Shatila refugee camp was set up for Palestinian refugees in 1949. With the recent influx of Syrians fleeing the destruction in their home country, the camps numbers have swelled to accommodate the numbers of displaced people. Shatila was also the site of a massacrein1982 in which up to 3,500 people were killed.
With this knowledge already heavy in our hearts, we entered the camp braced for faces filled with despair but hoping we could provide a little joy and comfort to families who have so little but are willing to give so much.
We started by distributing food parcels to needy families in preparation for the cold winter months. We mingled with residents of the camp, handed out cones filled with sweets to children that were generously donated by Interpal supporters in the UK and listened to stories from those who had spent their whole lives in the camps and those who still held tightly to the memory of their homeland.
Amna, a fundraiser from Bradford was endeared by the children’s positive attitude and willingness to live life to the full. “I had the privilege to paint refugee children’s faces (even though I’m not good) but the children loved it. Seeing their smiles today was priceless!”
We then distributed parcels filled with staple foodslike rice, lentilsandcanned goods to families in the camp. “I was left very emotional by the act of actually handing over the parcels full of good food to families who were so grateful as they took them back to their homes” said Abdul Majid who works in Interpal’s Glasgow branch. “The feeling in my heart can only be described as ‘sukoon’, meaning peace and tranquility”.
However, the mood soonturned less joyful as we walked on through the camp and the realisation of where we were began to dawn on us.
“By far the most disorienting part of the day was walking in the footsteps of refugees in and out of dark, twisted alleyways, witnessing infestations of rats and cockroaches with the stench of raw sewage consuming our every breath” Abdul Majid continued, “the claustrophobic buildings piled one on top of the other showed the lack of value placed on the refugee’s lives in the camp.”
Palestinian refugees are denied building permits and as the population of the camps continues to increase exponentially, the space constricts, leaving families choked with little hope of escape.
“The situation is worse than I could have ever imagined,” commented Ovais, a volunteer who has raised thousands to support Interpal’s work over the years. “I saw kids playing in rubbish dumpsamongst human waste.Dead rats the size of cats lay on the floor, and bullet holes still from the massacre of ’82 still scar the buildings.”
We then continued on our journey to visit families who participate in Interpal’s topical Awareness Seminars – community sessions that focus on a variety of topics. “I went into two homes,” said Abbas, a student volunteer taking part in the programme. “The first of which belonged to a woman and her four children. She told us how she attended an Interpal medical session focused on breast cancer which led to her mother discovering that she had been suffering with the disease.”
The family of five stand testament to the importance of Interpal’s outreach work with women.
Sadly it was too late for her mother and she since passed away. However it made us realise the critical need for outreach worktoeducate women on the dangers of gendered diseases and the impact our work has on real lives.
The second family we visited consisted of a woman, her son and two daughters. The son, Muhammad wanted to become an engineer, the eldest daughter a paediatrician and the youngest, a doctor. The father had suffered a heart attack two years ago and passed away leaving his wife penniless. Luckily, the financial support the family receive from Interpal is just about enough to tide them over. During the winter months, the onset of damp in makeshift houses often leads to disrepair. This family are currently crammed into a cousin’s house following the collapse of the roof in their home, unpreventable damage that will cost around $15,000 to repair, money they simply do not have.
During the winter months, the onset of damp often leads to disrepair.
“One case we witnessed particularly touched my heart”, recalled Amna, “there was a woman who has four beautiful children, three daughters and a son. Her husband had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and is now paralyzed permanently, only able to make slight movements with his eyes. To see his condition broke my heart. He lay there helplessly, not moving but just staring at me. I too felt helpless.”
Abbas added, “When I asked how her faith has stayed so strong, she replied , “I know that this is what Allah wants from me and no one else,” and I reminded her that Allah would not give this burden to anyone who was not strong enough to bear it.”
The group were amazed at the strength and resilience of the refugees.
“I’ve seen an awful lot today”, reflected Abdul Majid as the day drew to a close. “My heart is in pain thinking about the conditions in the camps but I am also in awe of the strong spirit of those who have nothing and how they manage to continue despite a system that is stacked against them. How can they survive the winter like this? Truly, I have never fully appreciated the good fortune of having a safe house,warm clothingandfinancial security. I pray that I am blessed with further strength to continue to raise funds to support Palestinian families that have endured so much pain and hardship in the camps.”
Tomorrow we head north to visit the Al Bared refugee camp. You can follow our journey on Facebook, on our Tumblr and by adding us on Snapchat @InterpalUK
To donate towards the Lebanon winter aid distribution, please visit our direct donations page. Alternatively, you can donate to our wider Winter Appeal by calling the office on 0208 961 9993 or by visiting our website.
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We’ve arrived!
After months of eagerly anticipating this visit, earlier this week fundraisers from Interpal’s UK offices to embark on their tour of the charity’s projects in the region.
On our first morning we started the day with a visit to the Lebanon Field Office where the lovely team briefed us on the current projects that Interpal runs with Palestinian refugees who have been forcibly displaced for almost seventy years. We were given the chance to offer our perspective on the implementation of humanitarian aid and make suggestions for future projects our donors would like to see.
We’re looking forward to what is sure to be a busy week ahead for the team as we travel across Lebanon and deliver aid to needy families who are facing a harsh winter ahead without adequate food, shelter orfinancesto keep them out of the cold.
To donate to Interpal’s Urgent Winter Appeal, call us on 0208 961 9993 or visit www.interpal.org
Keep up with the team’s adventures in Lebanon by following our tumblr for regular updates and pictures and add us on Snapchat: @interpaluk
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Winter Aid Distribution Update
Lebanon Day 1:
The Interpal UK team has arrived safely in Lebanon to begin their trip to our projects in the refugee camps.
We began by giving out the sweet cones that you so generously donated to children in need of a little love and care this winter. Many of these children will have seen horrors we cannot even imagine and face a future of economic uncertainty, poor education and a lack of opportunities.
As we travel through Lebanon over the coming weeks we will be visiting innovative and sustainable projects through which Interpal carefully uses you kind donations to really make a difference to these people’s lives. Displaced Palestinians face a harsh winter ahead with poor infrastructure and restrictions on outside support. You can help us to make a difference and keep them #OutOfTheCold this winter.
Follow our adventures on Instagram @interpal_uk or add us on Snapchat for exclusive clips from the field including interviews with staff and beneficiaries so you can witness first-hand what life is like for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
To donate to our Urgent Winter Appeal call us on 0208 961 993 or visit www.interpal.org
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#SunnahSmiles is a campaign promoting our General Children’s Fund. In simple terms, this is a pot where donations are combined and distributed to wherever the need is most acute. This might cover the cost of an urgent operation for a sick child, fund specialised tutoring for children with disabilities, or help to procure wheelchairs and other equipment for children in need. It is a way to support children and ensure that the generosity of our donors goes directly to those most in need of aid, rather than being funnelled into the latest popular cause.
Interpal’s General Children’s Fund is a way of giving that protects the validity and legitimacy of donor aid. Palestinian refugee children have been born into this life and have no way of escaping it on their own. By giving, you help us to provide emergency relief and help those who do not have the power to help themselves.
Why support us?
International aid is often viewed as a somewhat problematic concept. Some argue that it prevents countries from developing or that it prolongs conflict. And indeed it is true that in situations where a careful strategy is lacking, or where proper research into a country’s needs has not been done, the resulting aid packages can produce counterproductive results. The fostering of a culture of dependence, as opposed to the sustainable foundation for positive change which most NGOs aim to build, is a shortfall that the sector has tried to address.
Interpal was founded by Palestinians in 1994 following the Oslo Accords, giving us a high level of experience and insight that is reflected in our work across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in the refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan.
There are currently an estimated 5,149,742 Palestinian refugees in the Near East region, with nearly 500,000 in Lebanon, a figure that represents around 10% of the population there. The numbers for Gaza are even more shocking with the total population at two million, and refugees making up 44% of this total.
When we break these figures down even further, a bleak picture begins to emerge:
70% of Gaza’s children are refugees.
80% of the refugee population in the West Bank live under the poverty line.[1]
On top of this, UNWRA does not have the capacity to provide the care these children need, with estimates showing that around 100,000 children, that’s 20% of the children in UNRWA’s schools, have special needs yet do not receive the necessary help. These are the new generation of Palestinians, yet still know nothing beyond life in desperate conditions.
Palestinian refugees are not protected by the 1951 Refugee Convention and therefore are not guaranteed the fundamental freedoms granted to many refugees, such as the right to education, the right to settlement and repatriation, the right to free access to courts. Because of this, Palestinian refugee children and adults cannot live without international aid: they just do not have the means. Whether this be the authority to change their situation in the long term or tangible resources to make life bearable in the short term, these are things which only become accessible with your help.
There are countless projects in motion in the refugee camps across the region, many of which are funded or implemented by Interpal. We are an NGO with a strict humanitarian focus, who give aid to both PalestinianandSyrian refugees who need our help.
What kind of projects do we support?
A project we have funded for the past few years is the ‘The Friends of Lazarus’ home for homeless girls in the Bethany area of the West Bank. This is an orphanage with the space and resources to focus on health care and education to support the health and well-being of the girls as they grow. They aim to work with the local social services in a way that will strengthen the whole community, addressing the root cause of the problem they exist to help in a sustainable way.
The projects we fund and those we run are implemented by our field offices, by locals who are often refugees themselves. This affords our work in the community a level of respect from our beneficiaries, who feel that they can trust those who can communicate in an honest and open way, stemming from their own experience and understanding of displacement.
As winter looms, Palestinian refugee camps face environmental catastrophe, meagre nutrition and a lack of adequate shelter to see them through. Our urgent Winter Aid Appeal strives to protect those in need from the harshness of the elements by providing emergency relief in case of catastrophe and preparing families for the months ahead. By supporting the General Children’s Fund, your generosity can help to bring desperate children out of the cold this winter.
Let’s come together #ForPalestineand follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by bringing smiles to the children of Palestine.
[1]https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/docs/palestinian-refugee-children-fact-sheet_june08_1.pdf
Interpal is pleased to invite you to an evening of performance and poetry to help raise awareness of the desperate situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as the winter approaches.
All proceeds will go towards our #LightUpALife campaign to bring safe lighting equipment to the people of Gaza to help them through the darkness of winter and alleviate the safety risks posed by flooding and environmental catastrophe.
Please RSVP to: [email protected]with your name and contact details as soon as possible.
Tickets will cost £3 and will be available to purchase on the door.
Further information is available on our Facebook page.
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#AgainstTheOdds Jenin Murad’s family in Gaza have found a surprising way of making resistance taste unexpectedly sweet…
Statement on Gaza Airstrikes: 06/02/2017
As news reaches us of the recent airstrikes across Gaza our thoughts are with those who are reported injured in the Strip.
The increase in tensions is symptomatic of the climate of anxiety that contributes to immense psychological pressure on families living in the region. Gaza has not yet recovered from the destruction of 2014, and incidents of escalation attract short-term media attention but do not always account from the long-term structural problems witnessed by those working on the ground.
Our team will be keeping an eye on the humanitarian situation and responding immediately should the airstrikes continue.
In situations such as these, we are all the more appreciative of our field staff, who work tirelessly in this climate of uncertainty and danger. We keep them in our thoughts at this time.
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PRESS RELEASE: The Vision Project is successfully completed in Gaza
We are delighted to announce the completion of The Vision Project, a joint initiative with @united-nations Relief and Works Agency @unrwausa which has provided over two hundred blind and visually impaired children in Gaza with cutting-edge digital technology to help them access information sources, learning opportunities and creative initiatives.
Read more about The Vision Project here:
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Developing Educational Services for Children at the Sanabel School
- Dana, Interpal Gaza Field Office
Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalised and excluded groups in societies the world over. They are effectively barred from realising their right to healthcare and even education. Estimates suggest that there are at least 93 million children with disabilities in the world. Their disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse, and often exclude them from receiving adequate nutrition and humanitarian assistance in emergencies. They are often likely to be among the poorest members of the population. Girls with disabilities face a double disadvantage. They are not only subject to societal stigma but are also constrained by traditional gender roles and cultural barriers.
Palestine has a high proportion of people with disabilities compared to its population rate. Around 113,000 individuals suffer from at least one disability, which constitutes 2.7% of the population in Palestine. 75,000 of these people reside in the West Bank and around 38,000 live in the Gaza Strip.
Education is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of discrimination and poverty that children with disabilities often face, however, access to school for children with disabilities is often limited by a lack of understanding about their needs, unsuitable school environment and poor learning resources and facilities. 37.6% of all disabled individuals aged 15 years and above in Palestine have never been enrolled in a school.
Although roughly half of the schools in Palestine have appropriate toilets and ramps for student with motor disabilities, there are other conditions that require special adaptations that are not yet readily available in schools. These include special transportation and classroom accessibility.
TheSanabel School for Special Education, which is located in the middle of Gaza City, educates students with special educational needs in a way that addresses their individual requirements. However, strain on the sector has left the school struggling in a time of great need.
Interpal provides the school with educational assets, learning resources and employee salaries but we need your help to ensure that these children are no longer left behind.
To donate, call 0208 961 9993 and quote “SANABEL SCHOOL” or visit our website www.interpal.org.
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In Bradford? Pay us a visit at #UBURefreshers!
We spent the day talking to students at the University of Bradford about our work with Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria as part of University of Bradford Union’s 2017 Refreshers Fayre.
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In Bradford? Pay us a visit at #UBURefreshers!
Come down to Student Central to talk to our local branch officers about the humanitarian work we do and how you can get involved.
Visit UBU’sRefreshers Fayre website for a floor plan and more details.
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Editorial: January 2017
The turn of the year is always a time for rest, reflection and resolution. As 2016 passes I would like to thank you personally for your support over the past twelve months and longer.
Looking forward, the year ahead brings with it both challenges and opportunities for the international Palestine solidarity movement, not least because there are some significant anniversaries in 2017. It is 100 years since the infamous Balfour Declaration;70 years since the signing of the UN Partition Plan;50 years since start of the occupation of the West BankandGaza Strip; and 10 years since the beginning of the ongoing siege of Gaza. This year, it is all the more vital for us to work together to ensure that these anniversaries do not pass unnoticed and unmarked.
As the inauguration of President-elect Trump looms — the first major political shift of 2017 — his campaign statements suggest that the Palestinians face a crisis like never before. Despite this, there is much to remain hopeful about.
The close of 2016 brought with it the news that the UN Security Council has adopted a landmark resolution calling for a halt to all of Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Politically and diplomatically, therefore, there appears to be some progress.
However, the humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the day. Now, more than ever, the imperative is upon us to come together #ForPalestine and do our part to support our brothers and sisters in need. Interpal’s teams are there on the ground; please help them to ease the day to day struggles of the Palestinians as they try to bring some normality into their lives.
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Madinah: City of Refuge
The Makkan Muslims were refugees. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ was also a refugee. Refugee crises continue across the Ummah today. The longest running refugee crisis in the world is that of the Palestinians. Their situation stands in stark contrast to that of the Makkan Muslims, who were welcomed into Madinah and given refuge, homes and rights.
We have much to learn from the compassion of those in Madinah who embraced the Prophet ﷺ and his followers, and how we too can emulate this spirit of generosity and humanity to share with refugees across the globe.
Interpal hosted an insightful and inspiring evening with respected speakers Dr.Uthman Lateef, Ustadh Asim Khan and Ibrahim Hewitt.
We also heard first-hand stories that our fundraisers brought back from their recent visit to the Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon.
In total we raised just over £12,000 which will go directly to providing vital humanitarian aid projects to see refugees through the harsh winter months.
Thank you for your support and let’s continue to come together #ForPalestine this year.
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