Baghdad: BMAQ Highlights Its Humanitarian Achievements in Jerusalem at 52nd OIC Foreign Ministers’ Session

Baghdad - Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency (BMAQ), the executive arm of the Al-Quds Committee chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on Saturday presented OIC member-state delegations attending the 52nd Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad with a comprehensive report outlining its humanitarian efforts and achievements in Jerusalem.

The report featured publications and visual materials showcasing BMAQ’s achievements in Jerusalem between June 2025 and September 2026, the period between the Council’s two sessions. It also outlined the Agency’s integrated approach, combining direct humanitarian assistance with social and economic empowerment programmes, and presented its vision for 2030, developed in partnership with Palestinian institutions and civil society actors under the motto “Sustainability in Planning and Action.”

The report further noted that BMAQ held consultations in Jerusalem and Ramallah last September to shape its 2027–2030 action programme. The programme is built around three strategic priorities: strengthening administrative governance, advancing digitalisation and ensuring compliance with international quality standards; enhancing the Agency’s resources and diversifying its funding streams; and developing an integrated action plan to bolster support for the social sector.

According to the report, the 2027–2030 action plan comprises 10 programmes designed to sustain the Agency’s core interventions while expanding into new areas in response to evolving social, economic and technological needs. The plan is underpinned by a baseline annual budget of USD 7 million, with additional funding to be mobilised through the proposed measures and mechanisms.

The report also outlined the breadth of BMAQ’s interventions in 2026, spanning social welfare, education, healthcare, economic empowerment and agriculture, alongside initiatives for children and young people, cultural and academic activities, and innovation.

In social welfare, the report detailed BMAQ’s Ramadan assistance programme for 1447 AH, which provided 5,000 food baskets, 20,000 iftar meals daily, Eid clothing for 500 orphans and 5,112 shopping vouchers. The Agency also implemented its “Warm Winter” initiative, benefiting 120 families across 12 Bedouin communities southeast of Jerusalem.

In education, BMAQ supported several schools in Bedouin communities around Jerusalem by providing equipment and educational materials. The Agency also distributed 3,000 schoolbags and school supplies for the 2026–2027 academic year. Other initiatives included educational activities for children receiving treatment at Al-Muttala Hospital and the Summer Schools programme, which reached more than 3,000 children across approximately 20 schools and centres.

Building on these efforts, BMAQ launched an integrated programme on 15 July to support education and training in Jerusalem over the 2027–2030 period. The programme focuses on four key areas: improving school environments; providing scholarships and supporting research and training placements; promoting entrepreneurship and digital technologies; and expanding extracurricular activities while reinforcing Palestinian identity.

In healthcare, BMAQ organised mobile medical campaigns in 31 locations across the Jerusalem Governorate. The campaigns offered medical examinations and consultations, provided medicines and referred 100 cases to specialised healthcare providers. By June, more than 2,500 people had benefited from these services.

As part of its efforts to foster entrepreneurship, BMAQ helped six Palestinian start-ups participate in GITEX Africa in Marrakech through its start-up incubation programme. To date, the programme has supported 34 companies, provided acceleration support to eight, and helped three expand into the Italian and Emirati markets.

The Agency also organised four training courses in import and export for around 100 traders from Jerusalem and ran a traditional crafts training programme for 38 trainees, with the participation of three Moroccan artisans.

BMAQ’s work with children and young people combined cultural exchange with technological innovation. The report featured the 17th edition of the “Lighthouse of Peace” camp in Morocco, attended by 50 children from Jerusalem aged 11 to 14, as well as the Jerusalem Hackathon 2026. The latter brought together more than 120 students from eight Palestinian universities, organised into 35 teams to develop innovative technological solutions, with prizes totalling USD 21,000.

In agriculture, the report outlined BMAQ’s efforts to strengthen farmers’ resilience and improve their skills in Jerusalem. These included the “Sumud” (Resilience) project, launched in January 2026 to support 250 farmers, and the Field Schools initiative, launched in November 2025 to build farmers’ capacities through practical, hands-on agricultural training.

The report also covered BMAQ’s cultural and academic initiatives, including its participation in the Rabat International Book Fair and events promoting Palestinian fiction on the international stage. These activities were complemented by partnerships with Moroccan and Palestinian institutions in education, training, culture and social welfare.

Turning to the situation in Jerusalem, the report examined the impact of the war in Gaza and the wider economic crisis on the Palestinian economy, particularly key sources of livelihood in the city, including employment, trade and tourism. It also drew attention to restrictions on movement into and out of Jerusalem.

In social welfare and healthcare, the report noted the expansion of the Jerusalem Orphan Sponsorship Programme to include 350 orphans in the Gaza Strip, in partnership with local associations operating there. It also outlined a project to provide prosthetic limbs, in an initial phase, to 300 children who lost limbs as a result of the war. The initiative is being coordinated with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development, with financial support from the Kingdom of Morocco.

On the sidelines of the 52nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, BMAQ is also holding an exhibition of paintings, photographs and publications showcasing its programmes and projects in Jerusalem.