Ruptly
"About 240 Palestinians are studying Medicine in Cuba as part of a scholarship programme established to demonstrate Cuba's internationalist solidarity with Palestine. Footage filmed on Thursday shows Palestinian students attending classes and undergoing theoretical and practical evaluations in classrooms at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM). The programme was established in 2010 and has expanded in recent years, allowing hundreds of Palestinians affected by the pain and violence of the Israeli offensive to find support and hope in Cuba. "We chose Cuba to study medicine because Cuba opened a door for us without asking anything in return, and here we feel at home," said Malak Khudeir, a first-year Palestinian medical student at ELAM. In Palestine, many families have limited resources and access to education, especially in the Gaza Strip, where war and blockade drastically reduce educational opportunities. Therefore, the students recognised the Cuban scholarship as a unique opportunity to train and help their country. "We can contribute to our countries and we can treat people, the community directly," added Khudeir. "Here in Cuba, they teach us that medicine is not a business, but that health is a right for everyone." Palestinians assert that both countries share the struggle of their peoples for self-determination and sovereignty. "Today is the reminder of the Nakba day of 1948. [Since then] we started our struggle there and Cuba has been fighting for more than 60 years, fighting against the blockade and the challenges [imposed] by the United States, everything. [...] We have a lot in common," stated Khudeir. On May 14, 1948, the creation of the State of Israel was proclaimed, and the next day, the Arab-Israeli war began, intensifying the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from their lands. Since then, Palestinians have adopted May 15 as Nakba Day (the catastrophe) to remember the beginning of that exodus, the loss of territories, and the disruption of life before the war."
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