15 May 2017
Today, as the Nakba (or 'catastrophe') enters its 70th year, MAP CEO Aimee Shalan launches our 50 Days of Action:
On 15 May each year we commemorate the ‘Nakba’ (meaning ‘catastrophe’), the day that for Palestinians represents the dispossession and dispersal of two thirds of the population of Palestine during the violence which marked the establishment of the state of Israel.
My father, aged 17 at the time, was among over 750,000 Palestinians who were forced to flee. He would never see his home or Palestine again. Yet, he was one of the lucky ones; he would eventually make a home and raise a family here in the UK.
Today, there are more than 5 million Palestinian refugees registered for UNRWA services, including people who remember their flight from home first-hand, and several generations of their descendants. More than 1.5 million live in 58 refugee camps across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the occupied Palestinian territory.
This Nakba is still ongoing, and today enters its 70th year. Today also begins a season of painful commemoration for Palestinians. On 5 June, we mark the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Then on 14 June, Palestinians in Gaza will mark 10 years under Israel’s stifling blockade and closure, a decade punctuated by three devastating military offensives.
These anniversaries show why international action is more important than ever. MAP remains resolute in the pursuit of our core vision: a future where all Palestinians can access an effective, sustainable and locally-led system of healthcare and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity.
Today, we are launching our 50 Days of Action, and we are encouraging supporters to help us pursue this vision, through a range of fundraising and campaigning activities. For more information about how you can get involved, click the link below.
Join our 50 Days of Action today
