History of Medical Aid for Palestinians
This history of MAP was written by Francis Khoo. A solicitor and former journalist, Francis is a co-founding Trustee of MAP and possesses a unique understanding of how MAP came into being and of its work over the years.
The Sabra-Shatilla massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees - following the 1982 Israeli invasion of the Lebanon - was the catalyst that started it all. A few friends - Major Derek Cooper OBE MC, Lady Pamela Cooper, Dr Riyad Khreishi, Dr Hikmat Ajjuri, Francis Khoo and Dr Swee Chai Ang - appealed to the public for funds to send medical aid to support the beleaguered Palestinian health institutions. The Palestine Red Crescent Society, against the greatest odds, was treating injured Palestinians and Lebanese during the war.
Following a year and a half of campaigns, planning and recruitment, Medical Aid for Palestinians was launched in London in 1984. Major Cooper became Chairman, Khoo its Vice-Chair and Dr Khreishi its Treasurer. Dr Ang, who witnessed the Massacre while volunteering as an orthopaedic surgeon, chaired the Board's Projects committee. Dr Rafiq Husseini became MAP's first Director. Leila Mantoura, Dr Ghada Karmi and David Watkins (who eventually became our longest serving Treasurer) were invited to be trustees.
While earlier attempts by others had foundered, the charity was determined to ensure MAP was here to stay and aimed to 'put MAP on the map'. Within its first six months, over £40,000 was raised from among trade unionists, church groups, students and members of the public. Support from Scotland was strongest and a Scottish sub-committee was set up under Dr Runa McKay. The resident Arab and Palestinian population enthusiastically supported the charity. By 1994, an estimated £5-million had been raised and the pace has accelerated since then.
The camps were again under siege in mid-1985 and Dr Ang received an urgent appeal for help and quickly mobilised and led the first of several medical teams to work in the Lebanon. The medical volunteer programme began and over 300 medical volunteers drawn from a dozen countries have since been sent to work for varying periods of time. Among the most steadfast has been Board member Dr Kiran Gargesh, who has worked in the Lebanon for many years.
The UN's International Year of Shelter, 1987, underscored the plight of the homeless Palestinians. The siege escalated, and MAP's Dr Pauline Cutting and Susan Wighton, along with Ben Alofs, became trapped in Beirut's Bourj Al Barajneh camp. An appeal to the public drew unprecedented widespread media coverage for the rest of 1987. In London, Dr Ang led a fresh team to release and relieve the trapped volunteers. MAP's reputation extended even to a TIME magazine cover story about our volunteers.
Dr Cutting and Wighton, received the OBE and MBE, respectively, for their courage. Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestinian people, awarded the two - along with Dr Ang - the Star of Palestine.
On 9 December, 1987, the Intifada - uprising against occupation - began and MAP expanded its work into the Occupied Territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Dr Ang, with backing from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency established MAP's first volunteer project. After spending six months as consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Gaza's Al-Ahli hospital, she prepared a report for the World Health Organisation on health needs of the West Bank. Dr Cutting, Alofs and many others followed.
Over the years, MAP has continued working in both the refugee camps of the Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt along with those under occupation in Gaza and the West Bank.
The 1993 Peace Accords and a Palestinian Authority in the Occupied Territories promised a period of respite. With a nascent health ministry, MAP maximised the interregnum years by offering a more long-term approach to health care. Under Dr Patience Moberly, MAP concentrated on training and primary health care projects (Dr Anthony Peel is the current chair of projects). In the meanwhile, however, conditions continued to deteriorate in the Lebanon and following the 2000 second Intifada, resistance against Israeli occupation has intensified once more and the prospect for peace remains as fraught as ever.
Organisational history and make-up
MAP's history has largely mirrored the highs and lows of events in the Middle East. Its ability to adopt a flexible approach in shaping projects and the commitment of its Board, staff and volunteers has been responsible for its durability.
As its structure and finances increased in complexity, MAP decided to incorporate as a company limited by guarantee in 1994.
In 1986, Dr Husseini went to Jordan, only to return to London a couple of years later. Dr Khreishi filled in the gap during those years. With Dr Husseini's eventual departure, Dr Ajjuri became Chief Executive. Saida Nusseibeh succeeded him for the next six years and Belinda Coote is our fifth Chief Executive.
Major Cooper retired as Chairman, and became MAP's first President. The publisher, David Wolton, was brought in to succeed Major Cooper. In the mid-1990s, Sir John Moberly, KBE CMG, a former diplomat, succeeded Wolton. Health reasons compelled him to retire, and Khoo took over as acting Chairman for the next couple of years. Sir Andrew Green, KCMG, another former diplomat, assumed the Chairman's post in 2002 and Brian Constant has now replaced him.
Baroness Helena Kennedy, is its fourth President and she sits on the Labour benches at the House of Lords; her predecessor was Lord Steele of Aikwood, KBE PC DL, ( the former Sir David Steele of the Liberal Democrats) and the before him was Lord Gilmour (the former Sir Ian Gilmour of the Conservatives). Nusseibeh and Prof Judge Eugene Coltran are the Vice-Presidents.
The highlight of the fund-raising event has been the Annual Dinner. Guests of honour have included Princess Alexandria, Mrs Rafiq Harriri (wife and now widow of the Lebanese Prime Minister), Jordan's Queen Noor and the current Queen Rania, and Dr Fathi Arafat (President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society). Afif Safieh, the Palestinian Representative to Britain has been an invaluable supporter of the charity and welcome speaker at these events. Over the years, various Ministers and Secretaries of State have used the dinners as occasions for key-note speeches: William Waldegrave, David Mellor, Ben Bradshaw, Clare Short, Malcolm Rifkind and Robin Cook. Cherie Blair, wife of the Prime Minister, visited our Islington Park Street head-office in 2002 and helped launch one of our projects.
Several books have been published by MAP members: Dr Cutting's Children of the Siege, Wighton's One Day at a Time and Dr Ang's From Beirut to Jerusalem. Lady Cooper penned A cloud of forgetting while Watkins wrote Seventeen Years in Obscurity his memoirs as a Labour MP and campaigner for Palestinian rights.
Of the early convenors in 1984, only Khoo and Dr Ang remain on the Board. Several have, sadly passed away: Sir Moberly, Sir David Gore-Booth, KCMG KCVO, and Dr Khreishi.