American-based charity, The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), was formed in 1991 to provide humanitarian and medical aid to Palestinian youth in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Israel, including the West Bank and north, south and cental Gaza areas. The main objective is to provide specialized surgery in the Middle East to every child who has medical needs.

PCRF sends medical medical missions to the Middle East, as well as sending injured and sick Arab children to North American, the Middle East and Europe for free medical care that is not available to them in their home region. Since 1991, over 750 children have been or are currently being treated outside the the Middle East. And many more are sent to advanced medical facilities in Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Mideast locations.

Former President Jimmy Carter is an endorser of PCRF.

Many host families in America volunteer to help the Arab youth during their stay in America. One example is a young boy from Iraqi Kurdistan who arrived in Los Angeles in September to begin treatment for a hip disorder which could not be treated in his home country.

PCRF also sends medical equipment and supplies to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and has also trained Palestinian surgeons.

In 2006, PCRF opened the only fully equipped pediatric ICU (intensive care unit) in the Palestine region at Mankassed Hospital on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Medical teams from America and other countries will provide staffing for the facility and train local physicians.

Some of the current programs include:

• Powdered milk to poor children in the West Bank, Northern Gaza, Central Gaza and Southern Gaza.
• Nutritional aid for Palestinian refugee kids in Beirut.
• Sending food and medicine to Lebanon and the Gaza area.
• Donating school bags and diapers to needy children in the Gaza area.
• Wheelchairs are donated throughout the Mideast.