Dubai: The United Arab Emirates and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday signed a $25 million agreement to support Maqsed Hospital in East Jerusalem.

According to a formal statement by Emirates News Agency, the agreement was made possible by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and is a part of the UAE's efforts to improve the health system in Palestine (WAM). .

According to Sultan Mohamed Al-Shamsi, UAE's Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development, the contribution is expected to benefit about 130,000 patients by improving medical services at the hospital.

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"The agreement comes within the framework of the UAE's enduring, historic and consistent commitment to meeting the needs of the Palestinian people, especially in the health sector," Al-Shamsi said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that health is not a luxury, but a human right, and is central to development," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

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According to Rick Pepperkorn, head of the WHO Office for the West Bank and Gaza, the UAE's contribution will help maintain the immediate delivery of essential health services at Al Maqsed Hospital.

It will also help improve the quality of Al Maqsed's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and train medical specialists for all Palestine."

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Meanwhile, Dr. Adnan Farhoud, Director General of Al Maqsed Hospital, expressed his gratitude to the UAE for the donation, saying it will transform the operation and services of the hospital.