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Developing Educational Services for Children at the Sanabel School

- Dana, Interpal Gaza Field Office 

Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalised and excluded groups in societies the world over. They are effectively barred from realising their right to healthcare and even education. Estimates suggest that there are at least 93 million children with disabilities in the world. Their disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse, and often exclude them from receiving adequate nutrition and humanitarian assistance in emergencies. They are often likely to be among the poorest members of the population. Girls with disabilities face a double disadvantage. They are not only subject to societal stigma but are also constrained by traditional gender roles and cultural barriers.

Palestine has a high proportion of people with disabilities compared to its population rate. Around 113,000 individuals suffer from at least one disability, which constitutes 2.7% of the population in Palestine. 75,000 of these people reside in the West Bank and around 38,000 live in the Gaza Strip.

Education is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of discrimination and poverty that children with disabilities often face, however, access to school for children with disabilities is often limited by a lack of understanding about their needs, unsuitable school environment and poor learning resources and facilities. 37.6% of all disabled individuals aged 15 years and above in Palestine have never been enrolled in a school.

Although roughly half of the schools in Palestine have appropriate toilets and ramps for student with motor disabilities, there are other conditions that require special adaptations that are not yet readily available in schools. These include special transportation and classroom accessibility.

The Sanabel School for Special Education, which is located in the middle of Gaza City, educates students with special educational needs in a way that addresses their individual requirements. However, strain on the sector has left the school struggling in a time of great need.

Interpal provides the school with educational assets, learning resources and employee salaries but we need your help to ensure that these children are no longer left behind.

Statement on Gaza Airstrikes: 06/02/2017

As news reaches us of the recent airstrikes across Gaza our thoughts are with those who are reported injured in the Strip.

The increase in tensions is symptomatic of the climate of anxiety that contributes to immense psychological pressure on families living in the region. Gaza has not yet recovered from the destruction of 2014, and incidents of escalation attract short-term media attention but do not always account from the long-term structural problems witnessed by those working on the ground.

Our team will be keeping an eye on the humanitarian situation and responding immediately should the airstrikes continue.

In Bradford? Pay us a visit at #UBURefreshers!

In Bradford? Pay us a visit at #UBURefreshers! 

Come down to Student Central to talk to our local branch officers about the humanitarian work we do and how you can get involved.

Editorial: January 2017

The turn of the year is always a time for rest, reflection and resolution. As 2016 passes I would like to thank you personally for your support over the past twelve months and longer. 

Looking forward, the year ahead brings with it both challenges and opportunities for the international Palestine solidarity movement, not least because there are some significant anniversaries in 2017. It is 100 years since the infamous Balfour Declaration; 70 years since the signing of the UN Partition Plan; 50 years since start of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and 10 years since the beginning of the ongoing siege of Gaza. This year, it is all the more vital for us to work together to ensure that these anniversaries do not pass unnoticed and unmarked.

As the inauguration of President-elect Trump looms — the first major political shift of 2017 — his campaign statements suggest that the Palestinians face a crisis like never before. Despite this, there is much to remain hopeful about. 

The close of 2016 brought with it the news that the UN Security Council has adopted a landmark resolution calling for a halt to all of Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Politically and diplomatically, therefore, there appears to be some progress.

Madinah: City of Refuge

The Makkan Muslims were refugees. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ was also a refugee. Refugee crises continue across the Ummah today. The longest running refugee crisis in the world is that of the Palestinians. Their situation stands in stark contrast to that of the Makkan Muslims, who were welcomed into Madinah and given refuge, homes and rights. We have much to learn from the compassion of those in Madinah who embraced the Prophet ﷺ and his followers, and how we too can emulate this spirit of generosity and humanity to share with refugees across the globe. Interpal hosted an insightful and inspiring evening with respected speakers Dr.Uthman Lateef, Ustadh Asim Khan and Ibrahim Hewitt.

We also heard first-hand stories that our fundraisers brought back from their recent visit to the Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon.

In total we raised just over £12,000 which will go directly to providing vital humanitarian aid projects to see refugees through the harsh winter months.