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Name
Mohamed
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Profession
Question
What is the health situation inside the Palestinian refugee camps?
Answer
The health services inside the refugee camps are carried by the UNRWA health department. The department is in charge of primary health care, which means child health, maternal health and primary health care for patients.
There is no policy for hospitalization except for one camp, which is Tulkarem camp, where there's one hospital.
All health services of primary health care are offered from UNRWA for free; even hospitalization, if the patients need hospitalization. UNRWA covers part of the expenses, and this coverage depends upon the category of the refugee:
If the refugees are of special hardship cases, which is also called "rationed "R" category", the coverage may reach up to 95% of the hospitalization expenses. If the patient is non rationed - "N category", the coverage rate may reach up to 60% of the expenses, with a ceiling limit determined by the health department.
Of course, the health status of the refugees depends on many factors. These factors include the financial factor -the finanical status of the refugees is so week now to the point that they can't cover any unavailable drugs, something which affects their health, especially the chronic disease drugs, the children nutrition and the hormonal drugs which are used to treat sterility and other diseases such as the growth of children.
Name
zaher
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Profession
Question
My question for Dr. Al Waheedy is: What is the future of Palestinian refugees living in refugee camps in Arab countries, especially that we know that their health conditions are deteriorating, as they live in old and small houses that can't protect them from the environment?
Answer
I can add something to this question: It's not only the overcrowding of refugees in small houses - this is called "scrambled houses" - but even the municipal services are nearly unavailable except for the collection of garbage once a day from common places by the UNRWA collection cars. There's no sewage drainage, and the roads are so narrow between the "shelters".
I want to correct the question: These are not houses, but they're shelters. The occupation authorities, after 1967, under the allegation that they wanted to improve the housing of refugees, they gave them small parts of land in projects all over the Gaza Strip on governmental lands, but under the condition that they had to submit their shelters for the authority to demolish them.
Of course this was a political solution to end the Palestinian Refugee case by saying to the world that the refugees then were no more refugees; they were residents and had houses. Even the new houses can't face the increasing requirements of the increasing number of families year by year and decade by decade.
So, the future is vague and can't be determined just by you and me. It needs workshops to determine it - of course without any reference to the Israeli intention to prevent the return of the refugees to their motherlands and homes.
Name
Margret
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Profession
Question
Is it true that the UNRWA has recently cut off, or reduced, its services for Palestinian refugees?
Answer
Dear Margret,
Yes, it's true. The UNRWA didn't only reduce its health services, but also all other services such as teaching, housing, nutritional supplies and dry supply.
For example, the UNRWA, during the first uprising (Intifada) used part of the money that came under what was called EMLOT, or emergency supplies and provisions for Palestine and other Middle East countries such as Lebanon ... etc. They used some of the funding to open afternoon clinics and to recruit more employees to run those clinics; the money was also used by other departments of UNRWA such as sanitation, teaching and other common services for refugees.
When the Intifada came to its end, the UNRWA cancelled most of those services and recruitments under the allegation that the funds were not enough, which affected the health of refugees and affected their lives socially and financially.
In the beginning of the second uprising (Al-Aqsa Intifada), unemployment rate jumped to 75%, which prevented the refugees from gaining improved health services and, of course, services pertaining to other aspects of their lives such as nutrition and teaching.
The UNRWA even reduced and cut the use of ambulance cars in some big health centers under the claim that these health centers didn't use the cars so much, forgetting that emergency means that abnormal events may happen once a day, once a month or even once a year; the cost paid during this emergency is not big when compared to the saving of human lives, unless the UNRWA believes that Palestinian refugees' lives aren't worth such expenses.
In teaching, they cut provision with many scholastic materials for students. Also, they stopped building new rooms and schools to face the increasing number of students, to the extent that now more than 50 students are crowded in one room.
Name
amer
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Profession
Question
Refugees all around the world are entitled to civil rights enstated by the UN resolutions especially in the General Assembly's, meaning to respect their civil rights as refugees from their country. In spite of that, the Palestinian refugees in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria or Jordan suffer immensely from tragic situations, especially the deteriorated health conditions... What's the guest's comment on that?
My best regards...
Answer
I think that you, my friend, mix two or three things together. You mix between the refugees who are seeking shelter in other countries optionally and the ones who were forcibly driven out of their homes. The second thing is that you forgot to mention the Palestinian refugees inside Palestine. They are refugees and their lands and homes are stolen from them, and they were driven to Gaza and the West Bank.
You might have watched their misery in movies. They are in Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarem, Rafah, Jabalya, Middle areas in Gaza, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoon that disappeared from the face of the earth.
When you speak about UN resolutions, you have to remember that we're living in a unipolar world, governed by "Uncle Sam" and his armored hand - the Israeli army. You can just direct your question to the Arab governors and rulers.
Name
VAHID
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Profession
STUDENT
Question
Assalamu alikum,
What is your view about the recent poll conducted on refuges? is it accurate?
Answer
Dear Vahid,
This poll is rubbish!! It's even a suspicious one. Every Palestinian, whosever he is and wherever he may be, dreams and waits for the day of his return to his village, land and fathers' tombs.
It's certain that the Palestinians who are living now, or the coming generations, will return to Palestine. It's a Quranic truth, and Allah's Will.
Name
Abdur Raheem
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Profession
Question
Assalamu alaikum
From where is aid coming to the Palestinian Territories, e.g. from EU, USA, Arab countries, UN etc - in percentage terms?
Answer
Dear Abdur Raheem,
The aid just represents gifts that change from time to time, and according to the announced needs of the bodies taking care of the refugees. Actually we don't have real percentages for the amounts and sources of the aid, but we can say that the European countries have the upper hand in such matter.
Name
Khaled
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Profession
Question
Dr Zohny, are you or your group planing to offer help to Iraqi People, and how?
Answer
Dear Khaled,
The Iraqi people are Arabs, whatever had happened. All Palestinians try to help their brothers and sisters in Iraq so that they can overcome their catastrophe. It's not only my group or myself, but all Palestinians, who, like yourself, try to help Iraqis.
Name
maryam
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Profession
Question
Assalaam u alaikum,
How can we contribute to the Palestinians when donations are automatically deemed to be in support of "terrorism"? Are there suggestions for where to contribute food, medicine, etc?
jazhak Allah khair
Answer
Dear Maryam,
Wa Alaikum Al Salam Warahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatuh...
You can just donate to the trustable agencies like UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agency of Palestine Refugees), and UNHCR or any trustable agencies in your country, and try to donate with materials, not money.
Jazaki Allah Kol Khair.
Name
Hassan
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Profession
Question
Assalumualaikum,
Under what conditions do our Palestinian brothers live in the refugee camps, do they have proper water supplies, food, space etc.?
Answer
Dear Hassan,
I think I answered this question before. As for the space, there's no more areas for the soon-coming generations, because there's less than 1.5 square meters for every Palestinian in Gaza Strip, which means that they have no space even to be buried!!
Name
Hazem
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Profession
Question
What do you think the final solution for refugees will look like, since you're also politically aware?
Another question: What about the last survey you made about refugees, which triggered strong reactions among people?
Answer
Dear Hazem,
All the Security Council and UN resolutions are the most reasonable solutions nowadays as the Arabs and Muslims can't comprehend that Palestine is an Islamic Waqf, and it is an Islamic must that they get it back to Arabs and Islam.
Name
Kent
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Profession
Question
How far has the role of the UNRWA been effective in providing help for the Palestinian refugees?
Answer
Dear Kent,
The UNRWA has been very very effective; you know the miserable conditions the Palestinian refugees lived under in their camps and shelters in the beginning of their catastrophe (or Naqba), where there was no water, no food and even no clothes.
UNRWA started after the "QUAKERS" agency in Palestine to provide the Palestinian refugees with shelter and necessary life-saving needs, like water and food supplies and health services.
It's natural that such a community, with over-crowdedness, poverty, minimum municipal services, was a community of infectious diseases, cholera, small pox, eye diseases, skin diseases, manifestations .. etc. UNRWA started its program for primary health care, depending on preventive aspects of medicine by providing vaccinations for children and adult refugees; it also offered wide-spread health education programs and health centers all over the camps.
The result is now positive, especially concerning the vaccination aspect, as the UNRWA vaccination now covers more than 95% of the children due to be vaccinated. That means that the danger of serious infectious diseases disappeared.
UNRWA was even the first body in the world to eliminate polymylitis, small pox and it is going to eradicate cholera and other diseases.
Name
Sam
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Profession
Question
Would you please give us a brief idea about the day-to-day life of Palestinian refugees inside refugee camps?
Answer
Dear Sam,
It's a normal refugee life. Refugees sleep and dream of peace, health, good schools and ideal streets and towns. Fathers dream of a chance to work. Mothers dream of a chance to have money in order to buy the family needs in the morning.
In the morning, all the family members wake up and the dreams evaporate and get out through the unprotected windows due to explosions of "Apache" helicopters and F-16 rockets, thrown here and there on the schools and roads, and on the Palestinians who say that they want normal lives and they seek their dignity.
During the day, the fathers wander here and there, asking for any work, and you can see highly educated men working in roads, construction etc. just to earn their lives.
Name
vahid
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Profession
Question
It is realy an insparation that Palestinians under such brutallity by one of the strongest militaries in the world still put up a lot of resistance? I think this is a clear sign of Allah's help. Also, Iraqis, we should be proud of them all.
Answer
Dear Vahid,
In Allah we trust, and we are sure that victory for all Muslims shall be His award.
Name
al
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Profession
amatuer gynocoogist
Question
Why are arabs so stupid and at the same time so ugly? Is this not ironic and also somewhat funny? Is it Allah's will?
Answer
Dear Al,
Do you know what Allah said in his Holy Quran??
" ßäÊã ÎíÑ ÃãÉ ÃÎÑÌÊ ááäÇÓ" ("You are the finest nation that emerged for all people") Is it you or Allah who knows Arabs better?
Name
maryam
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Profession
Question
This question is not directly on point, but maybe you know how many UN resolutions Israel has violated.
Answer
Dear Maryam,
Do you know or can you enumerate how many UN resolutions Israel has carried on? I think none at all, otherwise, I will never be on my seat now, answering you, because I'm a refugee!!
Finally, the guest wants to add the following:
On behalf of myself, the Palestinian Physician Syndicate and all Palestinian doctors everywhere, I thank IslamOnline and its staff for giving us this valuable chance to clarify some vague points for the audience all over the world. On the other hand, I want to thank the Egyptian Physicians Syndicate and the Egyptian Physicians Association for their unlimited and generous support to us in the form of materialistic and financial support, which enabled us to initiate about 200 medical points for emergency. These points provide their services to the wounded Palestinians and save many souls by humble facilities, and we're looking to improve these facilities by the help of all those concerned.
The Egyptian support for these points is remarkable and our good health service is attributed to their support.
We're looking to all Arab, Islamic and international bodies to support these medical points to continue their services during peace and war times. Besides, we need to extend these services to help the handicapped.
Palestinian Physicians Syndicate can be contacted at:
Telefax: 00972 8 2837322
Email: pps_pal@hotmail.com
