Ministry & Norway Discuss Strengthening Cooperation & Supporting the Humanitarian and Social Response in the West Bank & Gaza
Ramallah – Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, met with Norway’s diplomatic representative to the State of Palestine, Erik Berggrav, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and support social protection programmes and the humanitarian response, as well as the needs and challenges facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Dr. Hamad expressed her appreciation for Norway’s support for the stabilization programme in the Gaza Strip, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), stressing the programme’s importance in restoring the capacity of institutions and various sectors to provide services and in creating the conditions necessary to help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
She reviewed the ongoing government efforts to provide services to people in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation, and social protection, through Palestinian institutions and personnel operating on the ground and in cooperation with UN, international, and local organizations.
Dr. Hamad stressed that despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Palestinians continue to be killed, while the crossings have not been opened to the extent required and humanitarian aid and essential supplies have not entered Gaza in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of the population. She called for ensuring the continuous and adequate entry of humanitarian assistance and the provision of the resources needed to begin recovery and reconstruction.
She added that despite the severe humanitarian conditions, people in the Gaza Strip aspire to rebuild their lives rather than depend solely on humanitarian assistance. Families are seeking to ensure education for their children and access to employment opportunities that enable them to become self-reliant. She also highlighted the importance of employment projects implemented in cooperation with UNDP in the areas of water, solid waste management, and shelter, which provide essential services, create employment opportunities, and foster hope for recovery.
In this context, Dr. Hamad highlighted the importance of the Digital Identity Project, funded by Norway through UNDP, stressing the need to link it with the Social Registry managed by the Ministry. The Registry includes approximately 350,000 families in the Gaza Strip, representing around 1.6 million people, and approximately 150,000 families in the West Bank, representing around half a million people. Such integration would enhance data accuracy and facilitate the delivery of services and assistance to eligible beneficiaries.
In the West Bank, Dr. Hamad addressed the escalation of settler attacks and the resulting displacement of families and damage to their livelihoods and property. She stressed the importance of strengthening emergency interventions and supporting affected families’ resilience and ability to remain in their communities.
She also noted that the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues is exacerbating the financial crisis and directly affecting the Ministry of Social Development’s ability to provide services and meet its obligations toward the most vulnerable families and groups, as well as civil society organizations that provide care and protection services in partnership with the Ministry.
Dr. Hamad briefed the Norwegian representative on the scope of the Ministry’s work, noting that it provides 18 social services through its directorates, offices, and centers. These services include the protection of women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, displaced families, and the most vulnerable groups. She called for exploring opportunities to expand cooperation in support of these services and reach the largest possible number of people.
She also discussed the Ministry’s efforts to expand protection services for women and girls, including work to operationalize a new center in Jenin in response to growing needs in the northern West Bank, alongside the continued provision of protection services for women in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Hamad further reviewed the financial challenges facing civil society organizations contracted by the Ministry to provide care and protection services, and the impact of accumulated outstanding payments on their ability to continue delivering services to persons with disabilities, women, older persons, and the most vulnerable groups.
For his part, Erik Berggrav affirmed that Norway continues to support UN agencies and humanitarian organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, including UNDP, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as Norwegian health and humanitarian organizations.
He stressed the importance of increasing the entry of humanitarian assistance and creating the necessary conditions for recovery and reconstruction, expressing Norway’s readiness to explore opportunities to expand cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development, particularly through UNDP, UN Women, and partner organizations.