Message from ABCD Chair of Trustees ABCD

As I write I am heartened by the latest developments in Gaza and watch the situation with great interest and hope. .  While the ceasefire is clearly a vital step, it comes far too late for the over 46,000 Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces and the countless others in the wider community whose suffering is immeasurable. This must be a starting point for justice and accountability, not an end point.

We know from our partners in the West Bank, that times have been incredibly challenging, often with a significant impact on the services we are able to provide to families living with disabilities.

With your support and generosity, we have been able to donate an additional £100K to the Centres this past year to provide emergency food and medical parcels. While we do not know what the challenges of the year ahead or the realities of the ‘cessation of hostilities’ will be, we know that if the war ended tomorrow, the needs would remain the same.

At a time when UNRWA is facing an existential threat, our trustees have taken the brave step of an initial one-off grant for a refurbished Rehabilitation Centre in the Al Amari camp in Ramallah. This brings to 6 the number of centres in UNRWA camps currently supported by ABCD, in addition to our ongoing commitment to BASR in Beit Jala and the Sheepfold in Beit Sahour. It remains to be seen whether we can afford to maintain this level of commitment, but I have faith that our supporters will come together once again.

We have lots of exciting fundraising events over the next 12 months which we invite you to be a part of. We are also in the fortunate position to be planning ahead for our 40^th Anniversary celebrations in 2026 and look forward to sharing activities that you can get involved in to mark this momentous occasion.

Thank you once again for your partnership in bringing light and hope to Palestinian families and children living with disability despite the current challenges in the area. Please join me in prayer for our families, therapists and volunteers working in the West Bank at the moment.

Daniel Burton

Chair of ABCD Trustees