• The most recent project of ‘Right to Return’ is the Al Shifaa Clinic in Nahr el Bared and Baddawi, which became of primary concern after the May-September 2007- attack in Nahr el Bared. The Al Shifaa hospital was unfortunately completely destroyed during the military invasion of the camp. The inhabitants had no choice but to flee to, amongst others, the Baddawi camp, where they were received and provided medical care by the medical centre Al Shifaa. During the attacks, doctor Tawfik and nurse Melad stayed in the camp as long as they possibly could, i.e. they were compelled to leave so as to avoid imprisonment. For months they have been working in a section of Al Shifaa in Baddawi. Doctor Tawfik and his team have returned to Nahr el Bared where they temporarily organised their medical consultations in a hired garage. Our 2008 work camp put the finishing touches to the premises and the new buildings of the Al Shifaa hospital (see work camp 2008)
  

• Our support to the Human Call hospital in Ein el Helweh camp started off in 2006. Ein el Helweh is the biggest camp in Lebanon with approximately 75.000 Palestinians and thousands of other nationalities. Consequently, medical needs are in great demand and the Human Call Hospital is the only 24/7 health centre with emergency admission. The Human Call association was founded in 1986 and over the years it was fine-tuned and expanded with, for instance, an operating theatre on the second floor. In 1998 the hospital could finally provide 24/7 medical service thanks as the emergency admission was finally established. Last year a neonatal intensive care unit was founded, including the camp’s only incubator. At the very moment the hospital is still under development. Currently the health centre is headed by doctor Amer Sammak, a passionate and dynamical man who tends to frame his work in the Palestinian national struggle.

• Our support is as well dedicated to all Palestinian Youth Centres which have subdivisions in all Palestinian refugee camps (see www.PYC-lb.com). They ceaselessly provide entertainment for the youngster and children, support families and provide additional education as the UNRWA schools are overcrowded, resulting in a vast number of drop-outs. Our organisation chiefly focuses on Ein el Helweh, Shatila and Nahr el Bared.
  

  
  • The centre of PYC Ein el Helweh is located across the Human Call Hospital and forms part of the camp’s social triptych: the hospital, the youth centre and the social help centre. During our 2007 work camp we completely restored the youth centre. The centre is now equipped with a large activity hall, a fitness room, a billiards place, a reception and a small kitchen. The centre works with young people and as well provided day care during the summer and even disposes of an active women’s group.

• The centre of PYC Shatila mainly concentrates on day care for children. Unfortunately children are faced with a tough life in Shatila, but the very vigorous animator Thaera aspires to change the often horrendous circumstances in which they are living. Fortunately a group of Belgian teachers decided in October-November 2006 to search long-term donors so as to ensure the centre’s continued existence. Previously, the only sponsor had deceased and therefore the organisation was unable to continue its workings. We are supporting this project which was given a second life in 2007, and thanks to the teacher team’s financial support they were able (1) to include an acknowledged teacher into the organisation and (2) to build an extra floor above the classroom.
  

• The centre of PYC Nahr el Bared plays a key role in the badly affected and totally destroyed camp. It is the meeting place for youngsters and children and it moreover attempts to support the returned inhabitants, both in a personal and in a material way. Our 2008 work camp took place in this PYC-centre. We had a magnificent but very emotional time with them. We have been working together with 15 other Palestinian people, under the leadership of Melad and Yasmine.
  

• The organisation ‘Right to Return’ started off in 2006 by supporting two projects, both of which were rather limited, but nonetheless successfully accomplished.
  
  • We collected support for a project of the NGO Beit Aftal Assomoud in the Rashediehcamp, located in the very southern part of Lebanon. Thanks to this project the NGO was able to reprint school books for the children. Afterwards finishing this project we consciously decided to terminate our cooperation with Beit Atfal Assomoud since the NGO can count on plenty of foreign financial aid, which is not the case for our other projects.
    
  • In 2006 we changed to a different support-receiver, namely the youth centre in Nairabkamp, a recognised PYC centre in Aleppo, Syria. We provided financial aid for a small computer network of 6 computers, destined for the education of the children and youngsters in the camp.

Stop Israeli urbanicide and genocide in Gaza!

Israel is currently engaging in a full-scale military offensive against the Palestinian Gaza Strip. What happening in Gaza now is terrible, the abuse of force is totally unaccepted by the international communities where no place is safe even an inch of Gaza Strip.

My heart is bleeding when seeing what is happening in Gaza . Since the beginning of the current military operation, 363 Palestinians were killed including 20 children (5.5%) and 18 women (4.9%). 1663 Palestinians were injured including 252 children (15%) and 168 women (10%). The MoH hospitals reported that there are 84 patients in critical conditions, 40 of them are in ICUs and 44 in wards because of the lace of ICU beds. The MoH referred 15 cases to NGO hospitals within less than 72 hours. According to WHO, No patients have been referred for treatment through Erez which has been closed since Friday. Egypt opened the Rafah border for patients to exit. Till now, only 23 injured patients got through Rafah to Egypt. In Gaza nothing is immune, the Israeli occupying forces demolish homes, schools, universities, police stations, civil society organizations and mosques. The war of genocide and urbanicide machine can kill and destroy everything in a very "easy" way. Today, the Israeli forces declare the border areas as closed military zone, the policy of No Mans' land aim to create a wide buffered zone along the Palestinian Israeli borders. A trail of devastation stretches as far as the eye can see to establish a buffer zone allegedly to prevent shelling from local missiles by Palestinian activists; a jumble of demolished buildings, leveled hillsides and flattened forests. This barrage of concentrated damage has been wrought not only by the bombs and tanks of traditional warfare, but also by industrious, vigorous destruction equipment, the bulldozer.

Israeli occupying forces continued to violate the human rights of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Since the beginning of the military operation in December, 27th 2008,, the mass massacres committed with cold blood against the Palestinians persist. Human rights violations that are being committed against us included the use of extra-judicial assassinations and willful killings. Till now, no signs that the cycle of violence will end and the Palestinian is anonymous.

The entire world is witnessing these scandalous and outrageous acts, and yet no concrete step has been taken!!! Unless the international community puts pressure on Israel to stop the mass killing of civilians and the willful destruction of property and infrastructure, the people of Gaza will again be forced to suffer the humiliating and crippling dictates of Israel's military rule. It could also lead to the re-occupation of the entire Gaza Strip.
The Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) asks you to issue a strong Last Appeal Statement condemning Israel’s human rights violations against the Palestinian people and to demand a cessation of this military offensive. Israel's persistent unilateral attempts to change by force the situation of some 1.5 million Palestinians blatantly contravenes international law and all human rights conventions. Furthermore, they are morally reprehensible. There are no political considerations which can justify the silence of the international community any longer.
Finally, may we jointly continue to challenge the hypocritical silence, because we believe in a just cause and seeking justice at all time, but without pitying or begging for rights, as these rights are internationally recognized, and are valid for Palestinians too!"

Dr. Yousef Mousa

Executive Director

Tel: 08-2824272

Fax: 08-2869220

E-mail: info@gaza-health.org

Web Site: www.gaza-health.org