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Al Awda Health and Community Association
Al Awda Health and Community Association (AWDA), formerly known as the Union of Health Work Committees – UHWC, is a Palestinian non-governmental health and development organisation based in the Gaza Strip. The organisation employs a human rights-based approach to provide health services to all segments of Palestinian society, especially the poor and the marginalised. AWDA operates with the primary goal of achieving community health empowerment and promoting a comprehensive healthcare concept, with a specific emphasis on the protection of women and children.
AWDA plays a vital role in serving the Palestinian people and addressing gaps in healthcare services. It operates two main hospitals, multiple health centres, and community programmes across the Gaza Strip. Many of its staff work on a voluntary basis, and its services are offered for a symbolic price. During times of crises and Israeli military operations, the symbolic fees are waived.
AWDA is the third-largest healthcare provider in the besieged Gaza Strip, following the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).