Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC)
For an up-to-date report of JPBC and its outreach work in Gaza and the West Bank since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war (October 2023-present), please refer to this document.
Opened in 1965 to serve families whose children were affected by polio, Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC) has expanded its mission to treat and empower children with a wide range of disabilities and offer support to their families by providing an array of therapies and rehabilitation services, a residential program for mothers and children, and outreach services to community clinics across the West Bank and Gaza.
In addition to direct services, JPBC strengthens capacity across Palestine by offering advocacy, technical assistance, and clinical training to 14 community-based partners. This crucial work empowers local organizations and challenges the pervasive stigma surrounding disabled persons.
The Centre also runs an academic K-12 inclusive school. Of the more than 450 students enrolled, nearly 40% are children with disabilities. The school is a model for creating inclusive education programs that can be replicated in schools across the West Bank to provide children with disabilities equal educational opportunities.
With its accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCIA) for Ambulatory Care, Princess Basma serves as a clinical placement site for graduate students in physical, speech, and occupational therapy as well as social work.
In 2011 the Centre launched the first and only classroom and therapeutic services available to Palestinian children with autism. As part of its mission, the Centre works to advocate for children with disabilities and their families and raise awareness in the wider community about the rights of the disabled.
JPBC Extends Its Impact Throughout the West Bank and Gaza
Throughout 2023, JPBC deepened its impact by partnering with rehabilitation organizations across the West Bank and opening a satellite clinic at Al Ahli Arab Hospital (Ahli) in Gaza. Although the satellite clinic suffered damage due to air strikes during the Israel-Hamas War, JPBC’s team worked tirelessly to deliver emergency rehabilitation and psychosocial care to children in shelters throughout Gaza.
By June 2024, coordinated efforts between JPBC’s main clinic in East Jerusalem and its Gaza-based team allowed the satellite clinic to resume services. As of September 2024, the clinic remains fully operational, providing vital care to children, including those recovering from emergency surgeries at Ahli. The need for JPBC’s services is more urgent than ever, with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) estimating that 10 children in Gaza lose one or both legs each day as of August 2024.
It is the unwavering support from AFEDJ’s donors and partners that allows JPBC to continue this essential work. Your contributions ensure that JPBC can continue to bring life-changing care to the most vulnerable children across Palestine.