Children from Gaza Strip arrive on rehabilitation course in Latvia

On 16 June, 18 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip will arrive in Latvia to undergo a two-week rehabilitation course at the Social Integration State Agency in Dubulti. The Project is implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the financial and organisational support from the Honorary Consuls of Latvia in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as the non-governmental organisation Lidere. On the part of the Palestinian National Authority, the project was co-ordinated by the Foreign Ministry and the organisation Give Gaza. The Ambassador of Latvia to Egypt, Māris Selga, met the project participants at the Gaza-Egypt border crossing point and companied them to Cairo Airport.

The Project participants are children from six to eighteen years of age, who have suffered during the recent military crisis either from injuries of from losing their parents. The Social Integration State Agency will provide to each child an individual rehabilitation programme prescribed by a doctor that will include counselling by a psychologist, hydrotherapy, physical therapy, medical gymnastics and, in case of need, also medication. Beside the treatment programme, a programme will be offered for getting to know Latvia: children will see the sights of Jurmala and Riga, visit museums, and experience our Midsummer traditions by taking part in Midsummer Eve celebrations led by folklore groups in Jurmala. 

Invaluable organisational support to the preparation of the Project was provided by the Honorary Consuls of Latvia - Saad Aguizi in Egypt, Khaled Miqdadi in Jordan, Gerard Renno in Lebanon and Nihad Zabadneh in Syria – who ensured communication with the relevant Palestinian institutions and provided financial support for the project participants' travel to the airport. During the project, the Honorary Consul of Latvia in Jordan, Khaled Miqdadi is expected to come to Latvia in order to meet the project participants and treat the children to an afternoon cultural programme.

The Centre of Arab Culture headed by Hosam Meri will provide Latvian-Arabic interpretation and will organise leisure events for the Palestinian children, including a boat trip on the river Daugava.

The NGO Lidere (female leader) under the guidance of Aiva Viksna, following its motto "to bring more love and warmth into the world", will take the children on a visit to the Museum of the Sun. Palestinian and Latvian children will then have an opportunity to paint images of the Sun and to give well-wishes to one another.

The humanitarian assistance project The rehabilitation programme for traumatised children from the Gaza Strip is Latvia's contribution to the support provided by the international community to the reconstruction in the Gazas Strip and overcoming the humanitarian crisis after the military operation earlier this year, in accordance with the commitments made by the International Conference for the Support of the Reconstruction of Gaza on 2 March in Cairo.

By the Cabinet Decree of 12 March, the Government of Latvia allocated LVL 17 500 for the implementation of the project The rehabilitation programme for traumatised children from the Gaza Strip. Of these, LVL 8 600 will be spent on a rehabilitation programme at the Social Integration State Agency, and LVL 8 900 is to cover the project participants' travel costs to Latvia.

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