His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday took responsibility for supporting 1,500 orphans under the age of 13 in Gaza, at a cost of $1.8 million annually.

The King’s decision came in response to a call for relief aid by Al Wiam Charitable Society (WCS) in the Gaza Strip and was based on a report submitted by Jordan’s field hospital in the coastal enclave, which emphasised the plight of orphans there.

Also on Thursday, King Abdullah ordered support for various societies and centres that provide care for orphans in the Kingdom’s governorates.

To meet this goal, he asked the concerned parties to provide a count of these charitable entities across the Kingdom in order to give them financial support directly after Eid Al Adha.

According to statistics, around 1,500 Palestinian children lost either one or both of their parents during the 23-day Israeli assault on Gaza, which commenced on December 27, 2008.

Sheikh Abdul Kareem Khasawneh, the grand mufti of the Kingdom, stressed the importance of supporting orphans in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Because of Israel’s continued acts of aggression on Gaza and in light of the deteriorating economic conditions there, Khasawneh asserted the need to support Gaza’s orphans.

Expressing appreciation for the King’s response to the society’s call, WCS President Mohammad Sami Abu Meri said the support will bring happiness to Gaza’s orphans, especially as it coincides with the occasion of Eid Al Adha. Highlighting the difficult conditions of Gazan orphans, he said they are all living under the poverty line, noting that around 25,000 orphan children in Gaza are below the age of five, and a small number receives a monthly allowance.

In light of the massive destruction caused by the Israeli military offensive, Jordan set up a field hospital in the coastal enclave in January 2009 to offer medical care to the residents. Since then, it has provided healthcare to around 600,000 Gaza residents and performed more than 10,000 surgeries. Moreover, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation has dispatched $40 million in humanitarian assistance and medical aid to the strip since the beginning of 2009.