LWF welcomes plans for restoration of U.S. assistance for East Jerusalem hospitals

Patients receive Dialysis treatment at the Augusta Victoria Hospital. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert.

“Support for critical and life-saving work”

(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) welcomes plans for the restoration of U.S. funding to the Palestinians, which will include much needed support for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. The funding had been cut in 2018, following a policy review by the former U.S. administration.

“This support will help the East Jerusalem Hospital Network continue to ensure life-saving treatment for patients from the West Bank and Gaza,” said LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge. “The work of the hospitals, including the LWF’s Augusta Victoria Hospital, has been even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. plans were announced today. In a statement the U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (The United States Restores Assistance for the Palestinians - United States Department of State) said that a “portion of this funding will support the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, as it continues to provide necessary and life-saving treatments to Palestinians.

Augusta Victoria Hospital is a center of medical excellence in East Jerusalem, serving all 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. It offers specialized care not available in other hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza, including radiation therapy for cancer patients and pediatric hemodialysis. Augusta Victoria Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International for its outstanding quality.

 

Support the LWF Jerusalem Program financially