Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a prominent UK-based aid charity, is facing internal turmoil as workers and volunteers call for its chief executive, Melanie Ward, to resign due to her parliamentary candidacy for the Labour Party in Scotland. This situation has led to threats of referring the charity to the Charity Commission.

On June 5, a group comprising healthcare workers, medical volunteers, supporters, and donors sent a letter to MAP’s board expressing concerns over Ward’s candidacy. Ward, who has taken a leave of absence to campaign for the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat in Scotland, stated that if elected, she intends to advocate for the Palestinian people.

Ward’s association with Labour has stirred controversy within MAP due to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s support for Israel’s military actions, including the blockade of essential supplies to Gaza and opposition to a permanent ceasefire.

The letter to MAP’s trustees, which has garnered over 2,250 signatures, including from notable figures such as British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah, criticised MAP for supporting Ward’s candidacy. It argued that MAP is left without effective leadership during a critical time for healthcare in Gaza.

The letter highlighted concerns about Labour’s stance on Gaza, referencing Starmer’s directive against supporting a ceasefire in a parliamentary vote and pending investigations by Scotland Yard into potential war crimes involving Labour leaders.

In response, MAP’s board stated it followed all relevant regulatory guidance and that Ward took an immediate leave of absence, with two interim co-CEOs appointed to manage the charity’s operations. The board assured that she would not continue as MAP’s CEO if Ward were elected.

The healthcare workers behind the letter demand Ward’s immediate resignation and call for Sarah Eldon, the chair of the board of trustees, to resign. They have warned that failing to address their concerns will result in MAP being referred to the Charity Commission.

Clinical oncologist Abdulla Alhasso, a volunteer for MAP, was also disappointed in the actions of the leadership, pointing to the severity of the situation in Gaza. “You cannot be with a political party leadership that supports genocide and funds it by cutting water and electricity to the Palestinians who are the beneficiaries of MAP,” Alhasso said. 

 A cancer nurse specialist, Gerry O’Hare, also expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership and Ward’s willingness to sacrifice MAP’s reputation for perverted political aims. 

 Since Oct 7, MAP has delivered about $7 million in medical aid to Gaza. Ward has been the CEO of the MDF since January 2023 and, in April, went to Gaza. The following month, the magazine TIME released its list of the 100 most influential people in health, and he was in it. 

 Ward is battling Neale Hanvey of the pro-independence Scottish political party Alba. There is also local opposition to her candidacy, with some claiming that the Labour Party leadership parachuted her into Fife, resulting in the resignation of a local counselor. 

 Ward has commented on the situation in Gaza, labeling actions of the Israeli government as genocide, and has requested for the blockade to be opened so that aid could get into Gaza. Even if she was on leave, she urged more British politicians to change as they understood the Palestinian’s suffering. 

 Labour has changed its approach to Gaza. In a recent scenario, the Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy showed support for the ICC probe into the alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli leaders as well as Hamas. Starmer once said he would like to recognise a Palestinian state as a step in the peace-making process. 

 The Labour Party has yet to return calls for this story by the time of going to press.