Israeli aid group opens Gaza clinic for 10k children
Jewish-backed NATAN will remotely support Palestinian doctors and nurses providing paediatric care from September
An Israeli humanitarian organisation funded largely by Jewish donors is opening a medical clinic in Gaza which could provide healthcare to as many as 10,000 Palestinian children.
NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief said the new clinic at the Gaza Children’s Village in Al-Mawasi will begin providing care from 1 September.
The facility will offer routine healthcare, which organisers say has until now been missing from the site, including vaccinations, preventive screenings and treatment for sick children.
Palestinian doctors and nurses from the Gaza Children’s Village will staff the clinic, with NATAN supporting them remotely through telemedicine. Specialist consultations and rehabilitation support for children with disabilities will also be available.
NATAN is an Israeli humanitarian organisation which provides medical and mental health support in areas affected by disasters and other crises.
It is funded by private donors, federations and family foundations, with much of that support coming from Israeli and North American Jewish communities.
Alice Miller, chief executive of NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, said: “Every child deserves access to basic medical care, no matter where they were born or what circumstances surround them.
“This clinic is a direct response to a need we have seen firsthand at the Gaza Children’s Village.”
The clinic forms part of the Mega Academy at the Gaza Children’s Village, which provides children with daily education, meals and trauma-informed support.
Dr David Hasan, founder of Gaza Children’s Village, said: “These children need a place to gather and learn, a meal so they aren’t left with empty stomachs, and physical care for bodies enduring extreme humanitarian conditions.
“This clinic gives us that last piece – the physically care they need.”
The Gaza clinic is NATAN’s latest humanitarian operation following deployments to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the country in June.
Its teams of volunteer medical and mental health professionals have worked alongside local healthcare providers treating survivors and providing trauma support.
NATAN has operated in crisis zones for more than two decades, sending small teams of doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and other emergency professionals to work alongside local communities.