Dear Timothy,
As this year draws to a close, I want to reflect on what has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult and challenging periods in MAP’s 40-year history. Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and increased attacks and violence in the West Bank and Lebanon, have tested the limits of resilience and commitment.
Yet, it is precisely in these moments of profound difficulty that the true strength of our mission—and your unwavering support—shines through.
This year I was grateful to accept the opportunity to become MAP’s permanent CEO. My decision was founded on witnessing, first-hand, the truly outstanding and courageous work performed by our colleagues in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon. Colleagues in Gaza, in particular, have been working under conditions that no one should ever have to face, marked by relentless attacks, devastating aid blockades, the threat of starvation, and immense personal loss.
Our teams have confronted a fundamental threat to their very existence, and they have met it with unshakeable dignity and a commitment to serving their communities.
The burdens they bear and work they do is extraordinary, but the impact of your incredible generosity has been equally so. Despite continued Israeli restrictions, we have managed to massively scale up our delivery of life-saving health services, to reach more than one million Palestinians this year.
In Lebanon, for example, our community midwives served over 3,000 at-risk mothers and infants living in refugee camps. In Gaza, our Solidarity Polyclinic alone has provided essential primary healthcare to more than 77,000 people, helped patients to walk again after losing limbs, and provided nutrition to malnourished children. In the West Bank our mobile clinics have provided services to isolated communities, and we’ve worked with partners to give mental health support to people forced from their homes by the Israeli military.
This year has also been defined by a collective global awakening. We have seen millions of ordinary people across the globe stand up and say, unequivocally, “enough is enough”. We have heard your voices joining ours, calling on the UK government to stop being an ally to the atrocities being committed against Palestinians.
This groundswell of public advocacy is vital, providing further moral weight and political pressure when it is needed most. We have brought these voices, especially Palestinian ones, to bear on policy makers in critical forums like UK Parliament and at the UN Security Council.
While this year finally saw a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the reality on the ground, with daily Israeli military attacks, shows it has been a ceasefire in name only. In the West Bank, we continue to witness a disturbing surge in settler violence and Palestinians in Lebanon face an uncertain future. Our work clearly must continue.
Throughout the relentless challenges, I couldn't be prouder of everything our teams have achieved this year. We remain steadfast and will continue our mission to promote the health, dignity and human rights of the Palestinians we serve.
On behalf of every member of the MAP team, we extend our most profound and heartfelt thanks for your incredible support this year. We sincerely wish you and your loved ones a peaceful season, and a very Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating.
If you are able, please make a donation today to help us continue our vital, life-saving work supporting Palestinians.
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