Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Update
Occupied Palestinian Territories - MEPL-12 /03
LWS Augusta Victoria Hospital
Geneva, 19 March, 2002


'As the Israeli military has reoccupied several refugee camps and the
towns of Bethlehem and Ramallah, the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) has
been significantly affected but, at the same time, has been able to play a
key role in helping people and providing needed care.

AVH was able to arrange medical and nursing staff to help provide care at
Yamameh Hospital in Bethlehem area during the closure and Israeli military
incursion. The AVH medical staff hs treated numerous casualties including
an 11-year old boy who suffered serious head trauma.

Many Palestinians are caught in the middle area between East Jerusalem and
the Israeli front lines. They end up in a sort of 'no-man's land'. AVH has
been able to pick up and treat a number of the chronic patients who cannot
access Bethlehem or Ramallah. AVH has been treating additional dialysis
and elderly patients because of this crisis.

The hospital is continuing to send medical staff into the refugee camps'
clinics when it is possible. AVH is providing shelter for a number of
patients who were treated at the hospital and are yet unable to go home
because of security situation.

The Village Health Clinics (VHC's) are using the DCA Accompaniment program
which provides an international presence in the transport van to reach the
villages. The VHC staff has significantly increased its successful trips
to the West Bank villages since the accompaniment program has been
implemented.

In addition to all of this, AVH has been providing housing and food for
approximately 70 staff who are staying on the campus. At the same time,
some of the specialist physicians and key administrative staff have not
been able to access the hospital.'

MEPL-12 has reached 42% of the total funding requested. The appeal is open
until end of September 2002. Considering dire situation in the region and
ever increasing needs, there is a growing concern that LWS AVH program
will soon face serious financial deficits and be forced to close some
activities.  We appeal to ACT alliance to take this into serious
consideration and extend financial support to this appeal.


Thank you for your attention.


For further information please contact:

ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone
++ 41 79 203 6055)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Leila Dzaferovic (phone ++41 22 791 6710 or mobile
phone ++41 79 757 9206)


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
   150, route de Ferney                         Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
   P.O. Box 2100                             E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
   1211 Geneva 2                              Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
   Switzerland                                 http://www.act-intl.org


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