Standing Rock is proud to support The Bethlehem Children's Hospital, helping to provide essential healthcare for children and enabling the hospital to continue offering its comprehensive range of medical services.
The Bethlehem Children's Hospital is the only hospital in the West Bank exclusively dedicated to paediatric care, providing treatment to tens of thousands of Palestinian children every year. It has been providing specialised healthcare for newborns, children and adolescents up to the age of 18 for more than 70 years, and today, the hospital consists of an outpatient clinic and an inpatient department with a total of 70 beds.
Together with Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, the hospital continuously adapts its medical services to meet both advances in healthcare and the evolving needs of the local population. At the heart of all its efforts lies one clear objective: improving paediatric healthcare in Palestine in a sustainable way.
The ongoing conflict continues to affect daily life throughout Bethlehem and the wider West Bank. Increased roadblocks and restricted access to Palestinian towns and villages have made it considerably more difficult for children outside Bethlehem to reach the hospital, but despite these challenges, patient numbers increased during 2025. A total of 40,430 children received treatment, representing a 13% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, 3,649 children were admitted as inpatients, while 36,781 children received outpatient care.
Construction of the hospital's new Day Surgery Unit also progressed throughout 2026, with interior fit-out and medical equipment being installed, and it is expected to open in autumn 2026. Six nurses also completed specialised perioperative paediatric training in Dublin through a partnership with the Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
Bethlehem Children's Hospital continued to provide financial assistance to families unable to afford medical care. During 2025, treatment costs for 2,924 children and 183 families were fully covered through the support of Kinderhilfe Bethlehem.
The hospital's operating costs during 2025 amounted to approximately CHF 12.22 million, covering staff salaries, medicines, infrastructure, maintenance and equipment. These essential services are only possible through the generosity of private donors and charitable foundations such as the Standing Rock Foundation.
