Arab Welfare Services in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 688. Chapter XVI: Social Services : Section 4: Social Welfare

CHAPTER XVI.

ARAB WELFARE SERVICES.

135. The organization of social welfare in the Arab community is still in the initial stage of development. Traditional forms of of charity still persist although on a declining scale, particularly in the Moslem. community. Most of the Christian churches have relief societies, mostly working independently on a restricted scale except in Jerusalem where the Latin and Greek Patriarchates give extensive assistance in the form of bread and grants for payment of rents.

With one exception - the General Arab Committee for Orphans in Palestine - all the institutions for the care of poor children are attached to religious bodies.

136. The development of Arab welfare services received considerable stimulus in November, 1942, when, consequent upon a report on malnutrition among children published by the Department of Health, a circular was issued urging the formation of local welfare committees for the primary purpose of feeding undernourished children. As a direct response to this circular local Arab welfare committees were formed for• the first time in Jerusalem, Hebron, Jaffa, Haifa, Nazareth, Safad, Acre. Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Beisan , Gaza, Ramie and Lydda.

The number of Arab children in these towns receiving meals under this feeding scheme in l944 was as follows. The figures are based on monthly averages.

District

--• •---- -- -----c-----.,..---•

Table 7.

Jerusalem Jaffa Lydda Haifa Nablus Jen in Tulkarm Nazareth

Acre

Gaza Hebron Besan Ram le Salad

School children

2,475 2,000 515

2,200 740 170 170 870

330 130 362

Non-school children

I

G0~-1

80

150 33

Tnf;iots

•-~

number led

Total

I

i 115

I 50

I 831

r~-

868

29r; 400

2,770 3,000 515

2,200 775 170 250 388 480 168 862 115

50 331

35

18

748

11,569
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