ARAB SAUDI

Al Aqsa Fund spearheads aid

Arab News

JEDDAH: In light of recent attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Administrative Committee for the Al-Aqsa and Quds Fund initiated a program of emergency food and medical aid to the impoverished people of Gaza.
The grant will be given to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza in cooperation and coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent. Emergency food to be distributed totals 640 tons of flour and 220 tons of sugar.
The Al-Aqsa and Quds Fund’s administrative committee approved an emergency program of $25 million in food and medical supplies in addition to emergency rehabilitation to the Palestinian people on Jan. 4.
The implementation of the aid will be in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent in coordination with the Saudi Committee for Relief of Palestinian People.
It also cooperates with the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization, the Qatari Red Crescent, the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations organizations (AGFUND), UNRWA, and other regional and international agencies. During the emergency Arab summit held in Cairo in October 2000, a decision was made to establish Al-Aqsa and Quds Fund to support the wellbeing of the Palestinian people by rebuilding infrastructure, especially in the sectors of education, health, agriculture and reconstruction.
The summit delegated the Islamic Development Bank to manage the Fund.
To date, the total disbursement of resources funds for the maintenance of the projects and programs equates to $766 million relating to the assistance and support of families in need, projects for job creation, the restoration and repair of public facilities, and the establishment of schools, colleges clinics, hospitals and health centers.

(This news from Al Aqsa, 12, 1, 2009)