VIENNA, April 5, 2018 (WAFA) - The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) reaffirmed its commitment to Palestine through the signing this week of eight grant agreements totaling over $16 million, an OFID press statement said.
The funds will support a range of projects and programs aimed at bolstering the resilience and living standards of the Palestinian people, it said.
At the signing ceremonies in Amman, Jordan, OFID Director-General Suleiman J Al-Herbish reiterated OFID’s longstanding commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s legitimate national aspirations and desire for sustainable development.
He emphasized that OFID had maintained unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people over four decades, as illustrated by hundreds of grant operations benefiting vulnerable populations and communities in both the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to Palestinian refugee camps in neighboring countries.
He also stressed the multi-faceted nature of OFID’s support to Palestine through targeting a wide array of sectors, such as micro-financing, infrastructure, education, agriculture, health and energy, as well as water and sanitation, in addition to providing humanitarian aid in times of crisis.
Furthermore, Al-Herbish reaffirmed OFID’s relationship with its partner implementing agencies in carrying out their mandates and important role in improving the livelihoods and prospects of the Palestinians. He commended these partnerships for their “remarkable effectiveness” and “high social impact” amid a complex socio-economic context.
The grants signed were as follows:
* United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). A new administration agreement for converting the PALFund – a micro-financing scheme that has been revolving over the past 13 years – from a trust fund into a grant amounting to $10 million, which will become part of the regular capital of UNRWA’s Microfinance Program. This move comes in recognition of the success of the PALFund, and is expected to consolidate the Microfinance Program’s financial sustainability and growth, and subsequently its social impact.
In addition, $1.5 million to enhance the health and living conditions of around 24,000 residents in the Shu’fat camp by upgrading storm-water and sewerage networks. OFID also co-funded Phase I of this initiative with a $1.4 million grant. With this new grant, OFID will have financed more than 50 percent of the Shu’fat Camp’s needs in this sector. Pierre Krähenbühl, UNRWA Commissioner-General, co-signed the agreement.
* Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). $1.5 million. This grant, to be channeled through the IsDB and implemented by the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, aims to improve living conditions of Palestinians in Hebron by rehabilitating 85 residential units belonging to disadvantaged families. Around 680 people will benefit from this component of the project. In addition, the project will entail restoration works at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, a site that was recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as an endangered Palestinian heritage site. Adil al-Sharif, Advisor of the IDB President for Palestine Trust Funds, cosigned the agreement.
* United Nations Development Program Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). $1.16 million to carry out development projects in Jerusalem and Gaza. These include: Phase II of expanding the Cancer Department at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, which received OFID’s support through a previous grant; establishing a center for visually impaired children in the Gaza Strip; and installing desalination units for a number of educational institutions in the Gaza Strip. Roberto Valent, Special Representative of the UNDP Administrator, cosigned the agreement.
* Jordan River Foundation – Madrasati Initiative. $500,000 to enhance education access for Palestinian children in East Jerusalem. Activities will include renovating and refurbishing six schools (attended by around 1,200 pupils), the purchase of equipment and teaching supplies, and a professional development scheme for teachers focusing on Information and Communication Technology, as well as a student and community engagement activity component. Tala Sweis, Director of Madrasati, cosigned the agreement.
* Patients’ Friends Society. $1 million to provide nuclear imaging equipment for the Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, benefiting around 2,800 patients per year who will be able to access local high-quality and affordable diagnostic services. Abdul-Kareem Al Zughier, Head of the Patients’ Friends Society – Hebron, cosigned the agreement.
* Welfare Association (Taawon). $600,000 to improve and sustain health services in the Gaza Strip against acute and chronic energy shortages. The project will address power supply challenges at seven selected health facilities in Gaza via solar power systems. Approximately 450,000 patients will benefit annually. Tafeeda Jarbawi, Taawon Director, cosigned the agreement.
* Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM). $100,000 to support academic and cultural activities geared toward encouraging creativity, innovation and the appreciation of diversity among Palestinian children, as well as safeguarding Palestinian cultural heritage and the Arabic identity of Jerusalem. Suhail Khoury, ESNCM Director-General, cosigned the agreement.
M.K.
