**ANKARA**
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) allocated $64.5 million on Monday to support operational costs and upgrades at Al-Makassed Hospital in occupied East Jerusalem.
According to the state news agency WAM, the grant comes under directives of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support the healthcare sector across the Palestinian territories.
Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE's International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, said the UAE works in coordination with international and regional organizations to strengthen healthcare services in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and other priority areas.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said the UAE support will step up efforts to scale up services at the hospital.
"The UAE's support makes it possible for WHO to provide the hospital with much-needed medicines and supplies, scale up its medical imaging capacity, improve the obstetrics and gynecology department, and help to train over 100 residents across 11 specialties," he added.
Established in 1968, Al-Makassed Hospital has a capacity of 250 beds and specializes in cardiac surgeries and pediatric and orthopedic care.
Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem suffer from poor public services, especially in the healthcare sector, amid Israeli restrictions seen by Palestinians as aiming to push them out of the occupied city.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
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