Malaysia Contributes US$1.20 Million To Palestine To Rebuild Al-Rimal Clinic

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has contributed US$1.20 million (RM5 million) to the Palestinian government for the rebuilding effort of the Al-Rimal Clinic, which also houses the one and only COVID-19 testing laboratory in Gaza, that was damaged by Israeli airstrikes last May. The Exchange of Notes (EoN) on the contribution was signed by Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali at the Malaysian foreign ministry (Wisma Putra), here Thursday. Saifuddin said the contribution, which is funded by an allocation from the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund under the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), reflected Malaysia’s unwavering support for the government and the people of Palestine. “The incessant Israeli attacks have destroyed public infrastructure in Gaza, including healthcare facilities providing critical healthcare services to the Palestinians amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said at the EoN signing ceremony. Saifuddin said the Malaysian government has also decided to extend predictable long-term contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in support of the Agency’s efforts to assist Palestinians. In addition to the previous financial contributions to UNRWA, he said the government has allocated US$1 million to be disbursed annually in the amount of US$200,000 from 2021 until 2025. “The contributions from the government complement humanitarian efforts and assistance from Malaysia, including those undertaken by the private sector, non-governmental organisations, as well as private individuals,” he said. Apart from financial aid, Saifuddin said Malaysia is also looking into ways of facilitating the Palestinians in terms of education and employment. “There are many Palestinian students in Malaysia, some are on scholarship and some not. We would like to discuss this matter with certain quarters to look at the possibility of assisting Palestinian students in Malaysia and have more of them to come study here with financial assistance. “When it comes to employment, Palestinians who are staying here are only using UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) card and we want to ensure that they are not in any way being exploited,” he said. Meanwhile, Walid said the clinic, which was damaged in the 11-day Israeli attack in May, is crucial for the coastal enclave’s two million inhabitants as it is also used as the Palestinian Health Ministry headquarters in Gaza. “Malaysia was among the very few countries that provided urgent financial assistance to Palestine. We are grateful to Malaysia for the aid to rebuild what has been damaged by the Israeli airstrikes,” he said. Walid also expressed his appreciation to Malaysia for always supporting the Palestinian cause since their struggles started over seven decades ago. -- BERNAMA