Churchs Gaza mobile health clinic survives attack

A mobile dental clinic, funded entirely by the people of Wales, was undamaged by the Israeli bombing of Gaza City, the Church in Wales learnt last night.

It will soon be up and running again, delivering frontline medical aid to people caught up in the rubble and chaos of the flattened streets.

Last week it was feared the mobile clinic had been destroyed following a direct missile attack on the Shij’ia Family Health Care Centre, where it was sometimes based. Following the ceasefire, however, communication has now been restored with the Near East Council of Churches (NECC), which runs the clinic, and the Church in Wales has been assured that the mobile clinic is safe.

The Archdeacon of Margam, the Ven Philip Morris, who coordinates the Church in Wales Jubilee Fund for the mobile clinic, said he was relieved to receive news after more than a week of anxious waiting.

But he stressed the need for fundraising work to continue in order to re-equip the health centre, also run by the NECC, which was totally destroyed in the attack.

He said, “We are delighted at the news that the mobile dental clinic, which the Church in Wales has funded for the last 10 years, is undamaged and will resume its much needed work shortly.

"However, we are horrified at the loss of life, the injuries, and destruction in Gaza, and will be working closely with the Near East Council of Churches to get the Shij'ia Family Health Clinic rebuilt and operating again.”

Parishes and individuals throughout Wales are responding generously to the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan’s appeal for money in letters to parishes last week and so far more than £3,000 has been raised.

The money will be transferred directly to the NECC’s Health Clinic account as soon as it is possible to do so, though in the meantime Christian Aid has been able to get medical supplies into Gaza.

The Church in Wales Jubilee Fund will be working with Christian Aid, ACT (Action for Churches Together) and the EU Humanitarian Aid to rebuild the Shija’ia Clinic and will suggest to parishes that they take part in “Wales biggest coffee morning” on the first weekend on May to raise money.

Last week the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to London asking why a church-run healthcare clinic was bombed in Gaza over the weekend. He has not had a response as yet.