Annual Operational Report 2016

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Annual Operational Report 2016 annual operational report 2016 for the reporting period, 1 january - 31 december 2016 annual operational report 2016 for the reporting period, 1 january - 31 december 2016 ii 2016 annual operational report © 2017 UNRWA About UNRWA UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. Headquarters - Amman Amman, Jordan Tel: +962 (6) 580 2512 www.unrwa.org Cover Photo: Food distribution at the Sahnaya Distribution Centre, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees in the near east iii table of contents acronyms and abbreviations iv executive summary 1 report overview 3 chapter one: context 4 1.1. political, economic and security developments and field priorities 5 1.2. operational and organizational developments 9 1.3. legal matters 12 1.4. financial overview 16 chapter two: annual reporting under the unrwa programme budget 18 2.1. strategic outcome 1 results analysis: refugees’ rights under international law are protected and promoted 19 2.2. strategic outcome 2 results analysis: refugees’ health is protected and the disease burden is reduced 24 2.3. strategic outcome 3 results analysis: school-age children complete quality, equitable and inclusive basic education 28 2.4. strategic outcome 4 results analysis: refugee capabilities are strengthened for increased livelihood opportunities 35 2.5. strategic outcome 5 results analysis: refugees are able to meet their basic human needs of food, shelter and environmental health 42 2.6. management and operational effectiveness 46 2.7. accountability to affected populations 49 chapter three: annual reporting under the 2016 oPt emergency appeal 50 3.1. funding summary: 2016 oPt emergency appeal 51 3.2. gaza: sector-specific interventions 52 3.3. west bank: sector-specific interventions 63 chapter four: annual reporting under the 2016 syria regional crisis emergency appeal 70 4.1. funding summary: 2016 syria regional crisis emergency appeal 71 4.2. syria: sector-specific interventions 72 4.3. lebanon: sector-specific interventions 80 4.4. jordan: sector-specific interventions 87 4.5. regional response 92 chapter five: annual reporting under the 2016-2018 resource mobilization strategy 93 5.1. results analysis: resource mobilization strategy goals 1-5 93 5.2. rms goal 1: more effective and efficient resource mobilization that provides requisite funding 94 5.3. rms goal 2: traditional donor partnerships are strengthened 95 5.4. rms goal 3: a diversified donor base that increasingly contributes to resource needs 96 5.5. rms goal 4: an enabling environment is established that supports donor relationship management 97 5.6. rms goal 5: working capital and staff safety and security are resourced 98 annex 1: list of contributors 99 annex 2: syria regional crisis response results framework 100 annex 3: status-updated syria regional crisis response ea risk register 106 annex 4: oPt emergency appeal results framework 110 annex 5: status updated oPt ea risk register 115 annex 6: unrwa statistics bulletin 2016 122 endnotes 140 iv 2016 annual operational report acronyms and abbreviations AAP Accountability to affected populations LFO Lebanon Field Office AAAID Arab Authority for Agriculture and Investment MCH Maternal and child health Development MHF Medical Hardship Fund AFESD Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development MTS Medium Term Strategy AOR Annual Operational Report MHPSS Mental health and psychosocial support CfW Cash-for-Work MD Microfinance Department CSO Civil society organizations MLA Monitoring of Learning Achievement CMM Common Monitoring Matrix NBC Nahr el-Bared refugee camp CwC Communications with Communities NFIs Non-food items CBO Community-based organizations oPt occupied Palestinian territory CMHP Community Mental Health Programme OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs DIOS Department of Internal Oversight Services ODA Official Development Assistance DM Diabetes mellitus OSO Operations Support Office/Officers EiE Education in Emergencies PRJ Palestine refugees registered in Jordan ERfKE Education Reform for Knowledge Economy PRL Palestine refugees registered in Lebanon ESF Education Science Faculty PCBS Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics EA Emergency Appeal PRS Palestinian refugees from Syria EPS Employer Perceptional Survey PS Perceptional Survey EPI Expanded programme of immunization PPE Personal protection equipment kits ERCD UNRWA External Relations and Communications PAS Poverty assessment system Department PHC Primary health care FESA Faculty of Educational Sciences and Arts PCM Project Cycle Management FHT Family Health Team PMTF Proxy-means testing formula FSRM Field Security Risk Management PSS Psychosocial support FTE Full-time equivalent QMR Quarterly Management Reviews GFO Gaza Field Office RMS Resource Mobilization Strategy GRM Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism RBM Results-based monitoring GBV Gender-based violence SSAFE Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments GDP Gross Domestic Product SSD Safety and Security Department GoL Government of Lebanon SIMS Security Information Management System HC Health centre SSNP Social Safety Net Programme HP Health point SCSN Special Children, Special Needs HOTS Higher-Order Thinking Skills SOPs Standard operating procedures HRCRT Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Tolerance SSU Strategic Support Units HCT UN Humanitarian Country Team SFW Summer Fun Weeks ICID Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Department SFO Syria Field Office ICIP Infrastructure and camp imrprovement programme SYP Syrian Pound IDP Internally displaced persons TVET Technical and vocational education and training IHRL International human rights law TSCA Transitional Shelter Cash Assistance IHRS International human rights system UN United Nations IHL International humanitarian law UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund INEE Inter-Agency Network of Education in Emergencies UNBOI United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry INGO International non-governmental organizations VAT Value-added tax IPSAS International Public Sector Accounting Standards VTC Vocational training centres ISF Israeli security forces WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene JCP Job Creation Programme WBFO West Bank Field Office JFO Jordan Field Office WFP World Food Programme JHAS Jordan Health Aid Society WHO World Health Organization JRP Jordan Response Plan LAF Lebanese Armed Forces united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees in the near east 1 executive summary In 2016, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for to decline, from 16,000 at the end of 2015 to 6,500 families at Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was able to rapidly the end of 2016. and effectively deliver human development and humanitarian UNRWA continued to support the food and nutritional needs assistance by drawing on its operational strengths, in of vulnerable Palestine refugees in Gaza, providing assistance particular its 31,000-strong work force, the majority of whom to over 970,000 people in Q4 2016 through both Programme are Palestine refugees and members of the communities Budget and emergency activities. As informed by refugee they serve. The Agency succeeded in providing education to inputs, a more diversified and nutritious food basket was 515,260 children in 2016/17, over 8.5 million primary health- introduced for all food assistance beneficiaries, a reform that care consultations, social safety net assistance (including was based on: (i) health and nutritional values; (ii) public cash and food) to over 254,000 individuals, learning and acceptance and local food habits; and (iii) content availability skills training for 6,677 youth, and microfinance loans to over and logistical practicalities. The Agency continued to invest 39,000 people, including 14,125 refugees. In addition, 5,859 in education by providing access for over 260,000 students families benefited from shelter rehabilitation or construction through 267 schools in Gaza, of which 71.2 per cent operated assistance. Humanitarian assistance was provided to more on a double-shift basis. Furthermore, over 4.1 million primary than 1.4 million refugees, primarily in the occupied Palestinian health-care consultations were provided. Additional support territory (oPt) and Syria. was extended to Palestine refugees in Gaza through short- The new Medium Term Strategy 2016-2021 (MTS) was term Cash for Work (CfW) opportunities that benefited over introduced at the beginning of the reporting period as 86,000 labourers and their families. Psychosocial support presenting the Agency’s statement of intent for UNRWA and awareness-raising was extended to well over 1 million operations during the 2016-2021 period. Operationalized individuals. through 2016-2021 strategic plans and annual operational In the West Bank, UNRWA provided basic education to plans for each field of operations, these texts reflect the 48,884 children and vocational and technical training to an growing and evolving needs of Palestine refugees and outline
Recommended publications
  • Backgrounder on Hamas
    APPENDIX F International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (Canada) Backgrounder on Hamas Appendix F – Backgrounder on Hamas1 Hamas is a radical Sunni terrorist organization that employs political and violent means to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel.2 The origins of the movement lie with the Muslim Brotherhood,3 an Islamist organization founded in Egypt in 1928, and led by early Islamist figures such as Hassan el-Banna and Sayyid Qutb. Starting in 1967 and continuing throughout the 1970’s, the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood gained popularity amongst the people of Gaza via communal activism, religious preaching and education.4 With the outbreak of the first intifada5 against Israel in 1987, the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood moved beyond its basis as a social and religious group establishing Hamas as an Islamist alternative to the secular nationalist resistance led by the PLO. Through its Charter, Hamas clearly states its objectives of establishing an Islamic state in all of Palestine. To realize this goal, the organization relies upon the use of violent jihad, the education of the Palestinian population in its Islamist ideology, providing social services, and promoting the liberation of the “Palestinian land” as an individual duty of Muslims everywhere. Objectives, Strategies, and Structure In its Charter, Hamas describes itself as a “distinct Palestinian Movement which owes its loyalty to Allah, derives from Islam its way of life and strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 7 of Understanding Islamic Charities
    CHAPTER SEVEN HAMAS RESISTANCE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF PALESTINIAN SOCIETY* HAIM MALKA Introduction For the Islamic movement Hamas, “resistance” is a way of life. It defines the movement, as its name-Islamic Resistance Movement-suggests, and drives its all-encompassing strategy to establish an Islamic Palestine through the transformation of society. Though the term resistance is most commonly associated with terrorism, for Hamas it is a comprehensive concept embracing military, social, and political activity. Resistance is a rejection of the status quo and an alternative paradigm to the secular-nationalist agenda of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in every sphere of Palestinian life.1 At the core of this strategy is a diverse network of social welfare institutions linked by personal relationships, shared values, and common interests. This network is most advanced in the Gaza Strip, where the Muslim Brotherhood built an independent infrastructure, as opposed to the movement in the West Bank which was closely linked to the Brotherhood’s Jordanian branch. The network of charitable organizations and services, not unique to Hamas, has not only been an important platform for spreading the movement’s version of Islam but has also provided a supportive infrastructure for military operatives to exploit and has been a major factor in the movement’s electoral victories.2 While political action and military operations may be tactics in pursuit of their overall goals, Hamas’ social services are the key to its broader strategy of transforming society. The movement cannot exist without * Haim Malka is deputy director and senior fellow with the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Relief Charity / Extremism / Terror
    Islamic Relief Charity / Extremism / Terror meforum.org Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3 From Birmingham to Cairo �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4 Origins ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 Branches and Officials ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 Government Support ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 17 Terror Finance ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 20 Hate Speech ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25 Charity, Extremism & Terror ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29 What Now? �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32 Executive Summary What is Islamic Relief? Islamic Relief is one of the largest Islamic charities in the world. Founded in 1984, Islamic Relief today maintains
    [Show full text]
  • Inquiry Report Palestinians Relief and Development Fund (Interpal)
    COMPLIANCE Inquiry Report Palestinians Relief and Development Fund (Interpal) Registered Charity Number 1040094 Contents Introduction 2 The Charity 3 Previous Inquiries 4 Source of new concerns 6 Commission Inquiry and issues 7 Timescale and conduct of the Inquiry 8 Findings 11 Issue 1: Whether particular local partners funded by the Charity were promoting the ideology or the activities of terrorist organisation(s) and therefore would be inappropriate partners for the Charity 11 Issue 2: Whether the Charity’s membership of the Union for Good was appropriate 14 Issue 3: Whether one of the trustees, Dr Essam Mustafa, had any links to terrorist organisations or undertook activities which might make him unsuitable to be a trustee of the Charity 20 Issue 4: Whether the trustees were fulfilling their legal duties and responsibilities, in particular by ensuring that the Charity and its assets were protected from any association with terrorist or inappropriate political activities 23 Summary of conclusions 31 Regulatory action taken and actions required of the trustees 34 Impact of Commission intervention 35 Resources applied 36 Issues for the wider sector 36 Annex 1: The impact of terrorism legislation 43 Annex 2: Summary of the Inquiry regarding the Charity published in the 1996 Annual Report of the Charity Commission for England and Wales 46 Annex 3: Statement of the Results of an Inquiry under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993 conducted in 2003 47 Annex 4: Public statements made by the Union for Good and its representatives (see paragraph 79) 49 1 Introduction 1. There are a number of charities providing aid internationally in high risk situations including conflict and post-conflict environments, natural disasters and other complex emergencies.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaza: Helping Death and Unliveable by Children Destruction 2020 Build Their in the Futures Classroom
    2018 EDITION Annual Helping Palestinians in Need Report Gaza: Helping Death and Unliveable by children destruction 2020 build their in the futures classroom Page 7 Page 19 page 27 ‘Faith, Hope & Charity’ is released to mark Interpal’s 25th year in operation. Available now in your local Interpal branch. Look out for our new book in 2019 Interpal has been a ...Interpal reaches the A heroic little charity vital voice in speaking parts of the Palestinian trusted in equal out against the brutal oppression Territories that other charities measure by donors and the inflicted upon Palestinians... don’t seem to be able to and is Palestinians who rely so heavily (and) plays a vital role in the providing the support, equipment, on the humanitarian aid it struggle for justice to which we help that Palestinians need...” provides.” should all be committed.” Peter Bourne, MA, MD Philip Hollobone, MP Yvonne Ridley Contents 3 A message from our Chairman 4 About Interpal 5 Meet our staff 9 Humanitarian Aid: A vital lifeline for families Gaza: Unliveable 13 Meet our beneficiaries 7 The Zero Stock List by 2020 15 17 Medical Aid: Providing life-saving support 23 Palestine Culture 29 Education Aid: Providing access to quality education 31 On the road to inclusion: A day in the life of an Outreach Bus Driver 34 The Tok-Tok Livelihood project 35 Community Development: Being a Helping to build lasting resilience 37 Palestinian ally 41 Interpal in numbers Death and destruction Helping 27 in the classroom children build their futures 19 A message About from our Interpal chairman Interpal is a specialist charity founded in 1994 to provide humanitarian and development aid to Palestinians in need.
    [Show full text]
  • Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development: Criminalizing Support for Non-Designated Charities
    Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity CHILLING MUSLIM CHARITABLE GIVING in the “WAR ON TERRORISM FINANCING” Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity: Chilling Muslim Charitable Giving in the “War on Terrorism Financing” PUBLISHED: June 2009 FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Alex Wong/Getty Images Members of a Muslim congregation in Virginia give Zakat donations for the needy before they enter a mosque for a service to mark the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, the height of annual Muslim charitable giving. Zakat is one of the core “five pillars” of Islam and a religious obligation for all observant Muslims. BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHS: LEFT: Brandon Dill/Memphis Commercial Appeal RIGHT: LIFE for Relief and Development THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION is the nation’s premier guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, the laws and treaties of the United States. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Susan N. Herman, President Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director Richard Zacks, Treasurer ACLU NATIONAL OFFICE 125 Broad Street, 18th Fl. New York, NY 10004-2400 (212) 549-2500 www.aclu.org Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 7 a. Introduction .............................................................................................................................7 b. Executive Summary .................................................................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • Viva Palestina to the Charity Commission, I Have Been Travelling for Many Weeks in North Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and North America
    Galloway 6/1/04 12:56 AM Page 70 70 Viva Palestina To the Charity Commission, I have been travelling for many weeks in North Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and North America. I have returned to a London address I seldom visit to find a blizzard of correspondence from you. Your correspondence, when read together, as I have just done, seems to represent a wildly George Galloway MP disproportionate and inappropriate reaction to our recent delivery of aid to the suffering Palestinians in Gaza, and must raise the question: Why? The peremptory letters from you, and by you I mean the Charity Commission, are full of bluster and threat, issuing absurd deadlines to people it does not seem to occur to you are not even receiving your letters, either because they are working abroad (Ms Razuki and Mr Al-Mukhtar), travelling abroad on high profile political business (myself), or you are writing to them at the wrong address. In my own case, Easter Saturday opened with your, latest, threat to go before a High Court judge in a bid to force me to appear before you. That will not be necessary. I look forward to telling you to your faces what I think of you. Which is this. I have become increasingly concerned about the abuse of your powers displayed in your brazenly obvious political double George Galloway, standards. About your attempts, under the Member of Parliament for guise of regulating British charities, to police Bethnal Green and Bow, the democratic efforts of political activists in dissects the Charity Britain in a way never envisaged by Commission’s obstruction Parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best Practices for U.S.-Based Charities1
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ANTI-TERRORIST FINANCING GUIDELINES: VOLUNTARY BEST PRACTICES FOR U.S.-BASED CHARITIES1 Table of Contents I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………….2 II. Fundamental Principles of Good Charitable Practice…………………………….3 III. Governance Accountability and Transparency…....................................................4 IV. Financial Accountability and Transparency............................................................6 V. Programmatic Verification……………………………............................................8 VI. Anti-Terrorist Financing Best Practices...................................................................9 1 This document is a revised version of the original Anti-Terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best Practices for U.S.-Based Charities released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in November 2002. This revised version incorporates comments received in response to the issuance of the draft revised Guidelines released for public comment in December 2005. These Guidelines are designed to assist charities that attempt in good faith to protect themselves from terrorist abuse and are not intended to address the problem of organizations that use the cover of charitable work, whether real or perceived, to provide support to terrorist groups or fronts operating on behalf of terrorist groups. Non- adherence to these Guidelines, in and of itself, does not constitute a violation of existing U.S. law. Conversely, adherence to these Guidelines does not excuse any person (individual or entity) from
    [Show full text]
  • Hewitt V Grunwald QBD 21 Dec 2004
    Neutral Citation Number: [2004] EWHC 2959 (QB) Case No: HQ03X03184 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION Royal Courts of Justice Strand, London, WC2A 2LL Date: 21/12/2004 Before : THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE EADY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Between : 1. Ibrahim Hewitt Claimants 2. Shahan Izzat Husain 3. Essam Mustafa 4. Ismail Ginwaller 5. Ghassan Faour 6. Rafiq Vindhani 7. Mahfuzh Safiee and 1. Henry Grunwald Defendants 2. Jerry Lewis 3. Eleanor Lind - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Richard Rampton QC and Anthony Julius (Solicitor Advocate) (instructed by Mishcons) for the Defendants Desmond Browne QC and Justin Rushbrooke (instructed by Carter-Ruck) for the Claimants Hearing dates: 25th to 26th October and 3rd December 2004 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Approved Judgment I direct that pursuant to CPR PD 39A para 6.1 no official shorthand note shall be taken of this Judgment and that copies of this version as handed down may be treated as authentic. ............................. THE HON. MR JUSTICE EADY THE HON. MR JUSTICE EADY Hewitt & ors v Grunwald & ors Approved Judgment Mr Justice Eady: Introduction 1. The serious issues raised in this litigation are important to the parties, and indeed more widely. They are also extremely sensitive in political and religious terms. The Claimants, who are trustees of a charity named ‘Interpal’, claim damages and an injunction arising out of the publication of two items on the website of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which the Defendants are honorary officers. These postings occurred respectively on 1st and 5th September 2003. 2. The particulars of claim were served on 23rd January 2004 and the defence on 2nd April.
    [Show full text]
  • Physician, Heal Thyself Can the Lancet’S Moral Medical Malpractice Be Fixed?
    VIEWPOINT YITZHAK SANTIS Physician, heal thyself Can The Lancet’s moral medical malpractice be fixed? AFTER THE publica- that he “deeply, deep- tion in The Lancet of ly regret[ted] the a mendacious “Open completely unneces- Letter for the People sary polarization that of Gaza,” Richard publication of the Horton, editor in chief letter by Paola Man- of the prestigious Brit- duca caused,” which ish medical journal, “was definitely not visited Israel where my intention.” What he was hosted by Hai- does this mean? Is he fa’s Rambam Medical sanctioning the let- Center. ter’s message, regret- The letter, published ting only the “polar- at the height of this ization” it caused? summer’s conflict In any event, the with Hamas, triggered problems at The Lan- a storm in the medical cet run far deeper. In community and in Is- his Rambam address, rael, with its blanket Horton ignored the indictment of Israeli CENTER MEDICAL RAMBAM COURTESY editorials and nu- doctors coupled with The Lancet editor, Prof. Richard Horton, at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center merous published wholesale allegations articles in the journal of a “ruthless assault” that amount to a gen- and “massacre” carried out by the Israeli army. eral J’accuse against Israel. This body of work is one result of the The Lancet has published unfounded charges against Israel for Lancet-Palestinian Health Alliance formed under his tutelage. In years, but this was the worst. 2013, this Lancet-guided coalition launched a research publication When NGO Monitor uncovered emails from two of the main au- with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a group cofounded by thors – Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lancet: a History of Exploiting Medicine for Political Warfare Against Israel
    1 Ben-Maimon Blvd. Jerusalem, Israel 92262 Phone: +972-2-566-1020 Fax: +972-77-511-7030 [email protected] www.ngo-monitor.org August 17, 2014 The Lancet: A History of Exploiting Medicine for Political Warfare Against Israel Background The Lancet is a UK-based medical journal. Richard Horton has served as Editor in Chief since 1995. NGO Monitor’s research demonstrates that, under Horton’s editorship, The Lancet has become a platform for intense political propaganda, particularly targeting Israel. It frequently exploits its academic authority and prestige, providing a scientific veneer to politicized NGO claims, stripping away the context. Often, these articles contain egregious factual errors and legal distortions unconnected to medicine and science. Although the editor of a peer-reviewed journal, Horton has written with disdain on the “system of peer review” calling it “biased, unjust, unaccountable, incomplete, easily fixed, often insulting, usually ignorant, occasionally foolish, and frequently wrong.” Hamas-Israel Gaza War 2014 On July 23, 2014, The Lancet published An Open Letter for the People of Gaza, which accused Israel of “war crimes” while ignoring Hamas’s crimes of rocket fire and terror tunnels from Gaza into Israeli territory. The letter, written by Drs. Mads Gilbert (see below), Paola Manduca, and Swee Ang Chai (see below), ends with the statement, “We declare no competing interests.” Yet, all three authors are associated with highly politicized NGOs. One (Manduca) is associated with Interpal, which is designated as a terrorist entity by the United States.1 Manduca also raises money for Interpal. The letter accused Israel of carrying out a propaganda campaign that “justifies the creation of an emergency to masquerade a massacre.” The Lancet allowed its website to be used to collect over 20,000 email signatures to “support the letter,” demonstrating the editorial board’s active role in backing the letter.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Chronicle Apologises to Interpal Trustees
    Interpal Trustees receive £50,000 in damages as Jewish Chronicle apologises for libels 27 August 2019 The Jewish Chronicle has published a full apology to the Trustees of Interpal, a UK-registered charity that provides relief and development aid to Palestinians in need, over the newspaper’s publication of false and defamatory allegations in March 2019. The Jewish Chronicle has agreed to pay £50,000 in damages to the Trustees, and has undertaken not to repeat false allegations that the Trustees are linked to terrorism or extremism. The newspaper is also paying the Trustees’ legal costs. The defamation complaint related to an article published by the Jewish Chronicle on 21 March 2019. In 2003, Interpal was listed by the US as a “specially designated global terrorist organisation” for allegedly funding designated group Hamas - an allegation that Interpal and its Trustees have always vehemently denied. Following a formal legal complaint by Carter-Ruck, the Trustees’ solicitors, the Jewish Chronicle has now accepted that neither Interpal, nor its Trustees, have ever been involved with or provided support for terrorist activity of any kind, and has made clear that the US designation is strongly contested by Interpal and its Trustees. To date and despite repeated requests, neither Interpal, its Trustees nor even the Charity Commission have ever been provided by US authorities with any evidence whatsoever to support the US designation. As well as publishing a full apology, the Jewish Chronicle took the unusual but welcome step of offering to publish an article by Ibrahim Hewitt, Chair of the Trustees of Interpal, in which he sets out Interpal’s 25-year history of providing humanitarian aid “to people in desperate need; no more, no less”.
    [Show full text]