Bethlehem / PNN /

 The Popular Services Committee of Aida Refugee Camp has provided financial support to university students from the camp, as part of its ongoing efforts to assist residents across various sectors. The committee contributed by partially covering tuition fees directly to universities.

Saeed Al-azzeh, head of the committee, stated that the support benefited 103 university students from the camp, enrolled in various universities across Palestine. The committee paid a total of 80,000 shekels directly to the universities, based on academic criteria, institutional requirements, and individual student debts and needs.

Al-Azzeh explained that the financial aid was made possible through partnerships between the camp and several French municipalities, including Grenoble and Nogent-sur-Oise, which maintain longstanding cooperation and twinning relations with Aida Camp. Additionally, a local philanthropist from Bethlehem contributed to the initiative.

He emphasised that this assistance aligns with the committee’s strategy to support students’ education, believing in the vital role of education in empowering camp residents, enhancing their resilience, and improving their future prospects.

Al-Azzeh expressed his gratitude on behalf of the committee, students, and the wider camp community to the French municipalities and benefactors. He stressed that this support represents a crucial lifeline, especially amid the ongoing political, economic, and social hardships resulting from the prolonged Israeli blockade and closure imposed on Palestinian camps and cities for more than a year and a half.