Deputy Minister of Health Dr Assad Ramlawi speaks at the Health Cluster meeting on 31 May 2018May 2018 - Members of the oPt Health Cluster met to review the preparedness and response plan in advance of the potential mass demolition and forcible transfer of the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar – Abu al Helu, located on the outskirts of East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.

The Health Cluster discussed their joint operational response, as well as avenues of interaction with other sectors in advocating for the protection of this community and preventing the demolition. 

More than 200 people, representing 32 families, live in this small Bedouin community, where most are Palestinian refugees and nearly 50% are children. Villagers of Khan al-Ahmer today also include 4 pregnant women and 2 disabled children.

Currently, the community is served by mobile health clinics run by the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP-UK).

Health Cluster partners are continuing to work closely with the MoH to upscale their services and meet the health needs of the community; this includes emergency care, maternal and child healthcare and also services to those who are chronically ill. Meanwhile, the Health Cluster will continue to advocate for the protection of the community in order to prevent a demolition.

The Health Cluster will continue to advocate for the protection of this community and will provide all of its technical, financial and human capabilities to ensure the timely and effective functioning of Mobile Clinics and enhanced support during emergency peaks. This entails additional medical staffing, involving surgeons, medical emergency teams, and volunteers, among others.