Hebron Rehabilitation Committee Holds a Press Conference for the Launch of a New Work Programme in the Old City of Hebron
Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) held a press conference for the journalists and media in Hebron governorate to announce the launch of an investment project for strengthening the resilience in the Old City area, throughout United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the German government through the German Development Bank (KFW).
The General Director of HRC, Mr. Emad Hamdan, reported that the committee is planning to restore and rehabilitate social service centers in Hebron Old City to enhance the existence of specialized centers that provide public services (social, guidance, health, educational, cultural, sports, and entertainment) to achieve human development in the different sectors of the Old City local community in the context of raising-awareness, and challenging the multiple social issues resulting from marginalization and lack of vital activities that aim to build and strengthen the community. Those centers are to pay attention to a group of sustainable key action programmes, which is based on a geographical distribution that includes vital areas of Hebron Old City and H2 area.
Mr. Hamdan added that this project aims to restore and rehabilitate a number of social centers and social-cultural service facilities, as it constitutes of the restoration and rehabilitation of different locations in the Old City: First location: Tariq Ben Ziad Community Center; this center was established to fulfill needs of a huge segment in the community for all categories, not only in the Old City, but all over the city; second location: The restoration and rehabilitation of Youth and Childhood Dreams Charitable Society Center for Culture and Arts, which is known as a cultural society that presents theater performances and social-cultural programmes; third location: A complex of institutions that will include Hebron Women Charitable Society, one of the oldest women societies in Herbon governorate, which has been operating over years on the implementation of projects and activities for women and children, along with “Bytna” center that affiliates to Patient’s Friends Society in Jerusalem, and is considered the first specialized center in Palestine for palliative care, which affords a safe and comfortable environment for the care of patients with chronic diseases, Hebron Rehabilitation Committee’s Friends Center that is affiliated to the committee, and will include a group of youth activists in the field of physical and mental gymnastics and sports, which was established according to the Old City local community’s desire, and lastly the awareness and guidance center that will be administrated by HRC, as it will raise-awareness of the Palestinian citizens about their humanitarian rights, and means of addressing the Israeli army and settlers violations committed against them.
The representative of the governorate, Dr. Rafiq Jabari, expressed the significance of implementing this project and targeting the marginalized areas, as well as the necessity of the social- cultural and sports centers in these areas, that help provide employment for the youth energies in what can be beneficial for them, and the social awareness-raising of the different social categories.
The project coordinator, Eng. Sireen Manasrah, noted that this project targets over 40 events and activities in the Old City and the marginalized and separated areas, where these events and activities would strengthen the social engagement between the citizens of these areas themselves, and with the citizens from both the Old City and the rest of Hebron City areas. The events and activities of this project rely on attracting the citizens from all parts of the city to the visit the Old City and interact with its residents and traders. Manasrah also added that they are in HRC, throughout this project, maintain their career of the historical buildings’ protection and adaptation in accordance to the needs and demands of the Old City.
The representatives of the institutions also spoke of their vision and message, and expressed the importance of the local community’s interaction with them, so that they achieve the required benefits of the project, and for the continuity of providing support and services to the Old City and the surrounding areas.
