Despite limited funding in recent years, the Agency has managed to maintain the regular pace of implementation of projects, with a budget of between 3.5 and 5 million dollars, said Echarkaoui who was the guest of the Forum of MAP, held under the theme “The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency: 25 years of actions in the service of Al-Quds and its inhabitants,” referring to the difficult working conditions in the Holy City dictated by its specificity, but also the political, social and administrative complexities, in addition to the attempts of the occupier to impose the fait accompli.
He also said that the contributing states have stopped their financial contributions since 2011, noting that the Kingdom remains the only donor (100 pc) in terms of state donations and up to 70 pc in terms of donations from institutions and individuals.
Over the past 25 years, the Agency has received some $64.9 million in grants, including $22.3 million in government grants with a Moroccan contribution of 75%, $27.1 million in institutional grants and $15.5 million in individual grants, Echarkaoui said.
He attributed the suspension of funding to geostrategic challenges in the region, calling for Arab, Islamic and international support to the affected sectors including tourism, housing and employment, through ensuring consistent and sustainable support to institutions in the Holy City by providing them with the means to enable them to continue their missions.
Echarkaoui referred, in this context, to the Palestinian plan to support social sectors as a suitable framework for funding established following a broad consultation with the institutions and representatives of the population, noting that the Agency has spared no effort to contact the bodies and institutions concerned, through the bodies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to request support to enable the Agency to continue the implementation of projects programmed in Al Quds.
The director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency also stressed the need to build between 15,000 and 20,000 housing units in the old city, the construction or acquisition of 28 schools with a capacity of 864 classrooms, the setting up of 20 kindergartens spread over the regions of Al-Quds, the equipment of care centers in specialized hospitals and support their operating budgets.
It is also a question of creating recreational spaces including cultural centers and sports fields, supporting women’s associations to promote their empowerment and enable them to develop their capacity in trades and income-generating projects, restoring 3,000 buildings including historical sites, mosques and cathedrals, repairing Muslim cemeteries and other socio-economic dependencies in order to preserve the cultural and civilizational heritage of the Holy City.
