The king’s decision came in response to a call for relief aid by Al Wiam Charitable Society (WCS) in the Gaza Strip and was based on a report submitted by Jordan’s field hospital in the coastal enclave, a royal court statement said.
The statement said that the report highlighted the plight of orphans in the Mediterranean strip.
“Responding to calls by a charitable society in Gaza, the king will sponsor 1,500 fatherless children, which will cost 1.8 million dinars ($2.5 million) annually,” it said.
Statistics show that around 1,500 Palestinian children lost either one or both of their parents during the 22-day 2008-2009 Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.
Sheikh Abdul Kareem Khasawneh, the grand mufti of the kingdom, on Thursday stressed the importance of supporting orphans in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
“Orphans in the Gaza Strip need support because of Israel’s continued acts of aggression on Gaza and in view of the deteriorating economic conditions there,” Khasawneh said.
WCS President Mohammad Sami Abu Meri said orphans in Gaza are all living under the poverty line, and that 25,000 orphans in Gaza are below the age of five, and a small number receives a monthly allowance.
In light of the massive destruction caused by the Israeli military offensive, Jordan set up a field hospital in the coastal enclave in January 2009 to offer medical care to the residents.
gulftoday.ae
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