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Urge Augusta Victoria Hospital Support in FY24 Budget

East Jerusalem Hospital Network Holds Vital Humanitarian Role

PNW Logo 3Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH), operated by the Lutheran World Federation in East Jerusalem, is the first and only hospital to provide radiation therapy for cancer patients in the Palestinian territories and the only medical facility in the West Bank offering pediatric kidney dialysis.  AVH faces ongoing cash flow problems as a result of the inability of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay on a regular basis the fees for cancer patients it refers to the hospital.

The hospital has received vital support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in recent years.  While that financial and other material assistance has been much appreciated, it is important to take steps to ensure that the financial aid continues so that the hospital may carry on with its life-saving work.

When sharing a May 2022 letter from ELCA bishops requesting attention to AVH financial support needs, Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar, ELCA Oregon Synod, said, “From the Holy Land, our Lutheran Palestinian siblings are crying out, asking us to step into the breach and renew funds to Augusta Victoria Hospital. Due to no fault of their own, the situation has become an urgent humanitarian crisis. Let’s not close our ears and eyes. We are proud of the crucial role this Lutheran medical center has played in the West Bank, but when funds are threatened, so are the lives of refugees, children, elders and more.”

We are requesting that you urge your member of Congress to give priority once again to AVH by mentioning the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, of which AVH is a prominent member, in the report accompanying this year’s foreign assistance appropriations bill. In the House committee report for the FY2022 State Department Foreign Operations bill, the committee directed (on page 99) “that assistance shall be made available for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network” of which AVH is a prominent member.

Please customize the following message to members of Congress urging inclusion of the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network in the report for the Fiscal Year 2024 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill. Your faith convictions and experiences can make a difference.
POSTED 4/12/2023

Recipients

  • President Joseph 'Joe' R. Biden
  • Your Senators
  • Your Representative

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Dear [Decision Maker],

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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