At the Third Global Disability Summit – Berlin: Dr. Samah Hamad Highlights the Plight of Persons with Disabilities in Palestine and Calls for International Action
Germany – Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs and Minister of Social Development, Dr. Samah Hamad, participated in the Third Global Disability Summit (GDS-2025), held in the German capital, Berlin, with wide international participation.
The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Berlin, represented by H.E. Mr. Laith Arafa, played a central role in ensuring the success of the Palestinian participation in the summit through close coordination with the organizing committee, managing the schedule of bilateral meetings, and accompanying the Minister throughout the various stages of the conference. The embassy also oversaw all logistical aspects and ensured effective Palestinian presence in official events, reflecting the diplomatic commitment to supporting the rights of persons with disabilities and reinforcing their place on the international agenda.
In her speech, Dr. Hamad highlighted the humanitarian catastrophe faced by persons with disabilities in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, due to ongoing aggression and the complete collapse of the healthcare and social service infrastructure. She stressed that this reality requires urgent and effective international action that goes beyond temporary humanitarian aid toward sustainable solutions that respect dignity and rights.
During the summit, which was held under the patronage of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and attended by ministers, representatives of international organizations, and UN experts from more than 130 countries, Dr. Hamad pointed out that the number of persons with disabilities in Palestine has reached 255,640, representing 5.8% of the total population, while the percentage in the Gaza Strip has risen to 6.2% due to repeated Israeli attacks, which have caused thousands of injuries leading to permanent disabilities, including no fewer than 4,500 amputations since the start of the recent aggression.
The Minister explained that the aggression has caused widespread destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, including the destruction of more than 40 rehabilitation centers, a complete halt in prosthetic and physiotherapy services, the destruction of half of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and severe shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies. She also noted that conditions of forced displacement and overcrowding in informal shelters pose a heightened risk to persons with disabilities, who lack even the minimum level of protection and support.
Dr. Hamad presented the Ministry of Social Development’s efforts to address these challenges, which included the provision of regular cash assistance to more than 50,000 persons with disabilities in the West Bank and Gaza through social protection programs, and the distribution of 1,172 assistive and rehabilitative devices, particularly for children with mobility impairments caused by direct injuries or deteriorating health conditions. She also highlighted the implementation of a free health insurance scheme benefiting more than 23,000 persons with disabilities in the West Bank, stressing the need to expand the program to Gaza in light of growing needs.
She also spoke about economic empowerment programs implemented by the Ministry, noting that 69 small-scale projects were carried out for persons with disabilities in the West Bank with funding amounting to $720,000, including production and vocational projects. In addition, development programs worth $2.3 million were implemented with support from the European Union and Arab funds to promote the independence of persons with disabilities and provide sustainable sources of income.
On the sidelines of the summit, Dr. Hamad held a bilateral meeting with the Norwegian support team, during which she discussed the importance of supporting the Ministry’s efforts to provide assistive medical devices and specialized supplies, enhance cooperation in the rehabilitation of damaged centers in Gaza, and build comprehensive response programs based on a long-term rights-based approach that ensures the inclusion of persons with disabilities at all stages of humanitarian response.
Dr. Hamad also met with H.E. Mr. Issam Al-Ahmar, Minister of Social Affairs of Tunisia, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation in the fields of protecting and empowering women and girls with disabilities, exchanging experiences in inclusive social legislation and policies, and coordinating on community integration programs and specialized care for vulnerable families and groups.
In another meeting, Dr. Hamad met with Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services, Ms. Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, and the accompanying delegation from the Republic of Türkiye, to explore ways of supporting rehabilitation programs in Gaza, enhancing cooperation in the provision of social, psychological, and health services for persons with disabilities, and providing technical and logistical support to Palestinian institutions working in the field of disability to ensure the continuity of services despite on-the-ground challenges.
At the conclusion of her participation, Dr. Samah Hamad affirmed that the suffering of persons with disabilities in Palestine is a real test of the international community’s commitment to the values of justice, dignity, and human rights. She stressed that the right to protection and care must not be selective, and that ignoring the grave violations in the Gaza Strip constitutes a blatant breach of international law that demands condemnation, accountability, and immediate action to ensure a safe and just environment for all persons with disabilities.
Latest News
On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.
On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation
Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety. According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions. The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response. The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations. In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support. In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment. These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability. The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system. It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights. It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.
