Ramallah – West Bank, 09 December 2021 - Dr. Youseung Shin, the country Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Palestine, and Dr. Richard Peeperkorn Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) signed off today on an agreement to establish two new Public Rehabilitation Outpatient Centers in Ramallah and Qabatiya in the West Bank, in coordination with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH).

The first of its kind for the MoH in the middle and north of the West Bank, the 1.9 million Dollar project comes to support MoH in strengthening their health system by developing the two outpatient rehabilitation centres and ensuring Palestinian people will have improved access to evidence-based rehabilitation services. WHO will focus on building the capacity of 30 specialised MoH staff, who will be assigned to provide services at the centres and develop operational guidelines. In addition, WHO will be responsible for providing the two new centres (1,054 sqm total) with the adequate medical equipment and assistive products to help the centres’ MoH staff deliver comprehensive rehabilitation services that includes physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health.

Thanking KOICA for supporting such an important project, Dr Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO Representative in oPt, said: “I would like to extend our sincere thanks to KOICA for funding this much needed rehabilitation project. The first of its kind for MoH, the project is expected to strengthen the rehabilitation services for Palestinian people in need. WHO in oPt is proud to be part of this partnership with KOICA and MOH.”

Expressing KOICA’s and the Korean Government continuo support to Palestine Dr. Youseung Shin the Country Director of KOICA in Palestine said: "We are happy to launch this new project in collaboration with the WHO oPt even under the current pandemic. It is designed to support vulnerable groups by strengthening public health services and relieving the government healthcare expenditure burden."

KOICA has supported the health sector since 2011 by establishing primary health care clinics in Jenin city with a budget of USD 3.2M and various follow-ups provided continuously to these clinics. Furthermore, KOICA supported the efforts of the Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering preventive and medical consumables.

KOICA has supported Palestine since 1994 and has provided USD 84,420,000 of assistance till the end of 2020. KOICA’s programs focus on providing quality health services to all Palestinians, quality education for youth, creating decent job opportunities, and government capacity building for quality public services.