Where the Hell is Matt? ... Matt is in Gaza with UNRWA

Engaging children in play, games and sports increases their sense of social support and have tremendous positive short & long term health benefits on young and older children. UNRWA, like many other agencies working in Gaza, recognize these evidence-based findings and develop and implement many innovative programs to promote psychosocial health among the children of Gaza and the West Bank. UNRWA also strives to show the common humanity Gaza shares with the world. Below is just an example. Amineh

26 July 2010
Jerusalem

Celebrity YouTube film maker Matt Harding, whose film “Where the Hell is Matt?” secured over 30 million internet hits, has made a flying visit to Gaza as a guest of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Today, UNRWA released its own film of his visit, entitled “Where the hell is Matt? Matt is in Gaza with UNRWA”. The film shows dozens of kids in Gaza rehearsing and then dancing with Matt, imitating his trademark dance. Within the first few hours, the UNRWA film received nearly one thousand hits on YouTube.




“It was was a massive surprise to see the number of YouTube hits rise exponentially in just the first few hours of its release”, said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness.

“Clearly, the idea that kids in Gaza are just like kids anywhere in the world is greatly appealing to audiences in the Middle East and beyond.

“Like the original, Where the Hell is Matt?”, this film celebrates the common humanity that the children of Gaza share with the global community”, said Gunness. “This is an important message: kids in Gaza are like kids anywhere in the world. All they want is to have fun. If allowed to be, Gaza can be a normal place where children can thrive.”

Background information:

UNRWA's Summer Games, conducted for the fourth year with the full support and involvement of the community, is the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children, providing a diversified set of activities including sports, swimming, arts and crafts, theatre and drama. The Summer Games commenced on 12 June and will run through 5 August, providing 1,200 summer camps for over 250,000 refugee children across the Gaza Strip.

The film “Where the hell is Matt? Matt is in Gaza with UNRWA” was shot and edited by blogger Yousef Ahmed.

To see the film, and access up-to-date photos, videos and commentary on UNRWA and the Summer Games, visit Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/unrwa

For Arabic speakers, a dedicated website provides information on the Games: http://summergames.unrwa.ps