Assahafa.com
The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency has carried out over 200 major projects and numerous small and medium-sized initiatives in Jerusalem since beginning its operations in 1998, according to its acting director, Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui.
In a address during a visit by Moroccan journalists and influencers to the agency’s headquarters in Rabat on Tuesday, Cherkaoui explained that these projects have spanned sectors such as education, health, housing and restoration, with a total budget of approximately 80 million US dollars.
He noted that the largest share of these funds has come from Morocco, which contributed 70% under the category of state donations.
However, since 2011, Morocco has fully covered the funding for donations from states, institutions, and individuals, following the cessation of contributions from certain Islamic countries.
In this context, Cherkaoui noted that last week, the agency launched projects in Al-Quds valued at 1.1 million US dollars. These primarily included the annual Ramadan social assistance campaign, the development of campus facilities at Al-Quds University in Beit Hanina, and the sponsorship of several children who lost limbs due to the war on Gaza.
He pointed out that the agency plans to implement additional committed projects, funded by Moroccan government institutions, territorial authorities, associations, businesses, and individuals.
These include local restoration programs for several homes in the Old City of Al-Quds, the third and fourth cohorts of the youth project incubator in innovation and renewal, and annual scholarship grants.
Cherkaoui also added that the agency intends to launch its annual social assistance program for orphaned children under its care, as well as the summer school program in Al-Quds and the annual summer camp in Morocco for children from Al-Quds.
Additionally, it will organize exhibitions, publishing activities, academic research, and annual awards for children, including the Journalism Excellence in Developmental Media Award.
He noted that the cost of these planned programs and projects amounts to approximately 3 million US dollars and mentioned that the agency remains hopeful of mobilizing an additional 2 million US dollars to fund further projects in health, education, human development, and property acquisition in Al-Quds.
Morocco, which hosts the headquarters of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif and serves as the primary funder of its projects, has established a model of continuous, on-the-ground support in Al-Quds, yielding tangible results, he maintained.
These efforts have notably included acquiring properties and converting them into schools, kindergartens, and cultural centers, as well as constructing five new schools across various neighborhoods of the city, among them Hassan II School in Wadi al-Joz and Al-Massira School in Shuafat Refugee Camp.
Cherkaoui also noted that Morocco has supported hospitals by providing equipment, establishing dental clinics, setting up an emergency coordination and monitoring unit, and supplying medicine, ambulances, and two field hospitals for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Additionally, Morocco has welcomed Palestinian students to study at Moroccan universities and institutes.
Source: map
