Welfare Association (WA) hosted a visit to Jerusalem by Baroness Dr. Jenny Tonge of Kew in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and Dr. Keith Tonge, on Monday, February 18. In addition to being a member of the British House of Lords, Baroness Tonge volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors of WA-UK, WA’s sister organization, also which coordinated the visit. WA senior staff received the visitors at the Technical Office of WA’s Old City of Jerusalem. Revitalization Program (OCJRP), and later took the delegation on a tour of WA projects in Jerusalem in the cultural and health sectors.

Dr. Shadia Touqan, the OCJRP Technical Director, and Mazen Hashweh, WA Resource Development Director, discussed the major issues and challenges facing Jerusalemites. Dr. Shadia Touqan described WA interventions in the Old City aimed at supporting its residents through the restoration and rehabilitation of the historic urban buildings, and through supporting several local NGOs that offer social services to Jerusalemites. Later the delegation visited the major religious sites and toured several historical buildings within the Haram al-Sharif that were restored by the OCJRP and now house the Islamic museum and the Manuscript Restoration Center.

Baroness Tonge and Dr. Keith also toured two of the hospitals supported by WA-UK through the EU-financed East Jerusalem Hospitals Coordination Project which networked the six major hospitals serving Palestinians. At Al Makassed Hospital, the major referral hospital for Palestinians, they met with the Hospital Director, Dr. Farouk Abdul Rahim, and Medical Director, Dr. Bassam Abu Libdeh. Dr. Abdul Rahim highlighted the difficulties facing the health sector in Jerusalem, especially problems related to physical access to services due to Israel’s separation of Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. Baroness and Dr. Tonge were also given a tour of Augusta Victoria Hospital accompanied by Hospital Director Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, where they visited new departments and services, including those established with the support of Welfare Association.