2 March 2017
Last week a joint team from MAP and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) travelled to Lebanon to undertake a scoping visit of disability assessment and services for Palestinian children.
Palestinian refugee children with disabilities in Lebanon face considerable challenges to their rights and well-being, including a lack of adequate services, ill-adapted public spaces, and exclusion from education and social activities.
The purpose of the visit was to better understand the extent and quality of services for early childhood developmental assessment and management of developmental delay and disability. During the visit MAP and the RCPCH met with senior representatives from UNRWA, UNICEF, and a range of Palestinian NGOs providing essential therapy and treatment services for children with physical, learning and mental disabilities.
Following the trip, Professor Margaret Lynch from the RCPCH said: "The joint visit set the scene for a challenging new partnership between MAP and RCPCH. By drawing on the experience and considerable expertise within both organisations we will now be seeking to support local partners in the development of a programme of activities to improve outcomes for Palestinian children with disability and their families in Lebanon".
This visit is the latest activity in the long-standing relationship between MAP and the RCPCH, and is envisioned as the first step towards a programme which will develop the capacity of local service providers to provide high-quality assessment of children with disabilities in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
You can read more about how MAP’s partnerships in Lebanon are helping Palestinian children with disabilities to claim their rights here.
