Al-Khatib reviews humanitarian needs in Palestine in New York and calls for the protection of civilians and medical teams

Gaza - Afaq News - The President of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, concluded a humanitarian mission in New York City, during which he participated in several high-level meetings and events that addressed the humanitarian situation in Palestine, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly.

Dr. Al-Khatib, as a keynote speaker, participated in several international meetings, including the ministerial meeting on the health situation in the Gaza Strip, with the participation of Mr. Ed Miliband, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development - United Kingdom, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs - State of Qatar, and His Excellency Mr. Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

He also participated in a high-level event on Palestinian children in detention, co-hosted by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and the Prime Minister of Ireland, in addition to his participation in the event 'A Call to Action for Palestinian Children,' hosted by the European Union, Belgium, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Dr. Al-Khatib also took part in the high-level event dedicated to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, France, and Germany, where participants discussed the humanitarian challenges and needs related to the recovery and reconstruction phase.

During various meetings attended by foreign ministers from several countries, including Egypt, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Australia, Dr. Al-Khatib reviewed the humanitarian reality in Palestine from a field and humanitarian perspective, relying on the experiences of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in the field of humanitarian response and its role as a frontline relief and response entity.

The increasing humanitarian needs and the challenges facing the humanitarian response in Palestine were highlighted, especially under the difficult conditions that the population is experiencing, emphasizing the necessity of enhancing international efforts to ensure the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and medical teams.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring safe and continuous access to humanitarian aid, and providing a safe humanitarian space for humanitarian workers, allowing them to perform their tasks without obstacles, in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law and the applicable Geneva Conventions in Palestine.

Dr. Al-Khatib emphasized during his participation the importance of the international community continuing to bear its responsibilities towards the humanitarian situation in Palestine, and working to ensure the protection of the population and enhance the humanitarian system's capacity to respond to the increasing needs.