Dr. Samah Hamad at Birzeit University: Students Learn About the Government Operations Room as a Model of Integrated Humanitarian Response in the Southern Governorates
Ramallah – Wednesday, May 7, 2025 – The President of Birzeit University, Dr. Talal Shahwan, received Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, at the university’s main campus ahead of her participation in a policy dialogue session organized by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, titled: “The Government Operations Room for Emergency Interventions in the Southern Governorates”, attended by a wide audience of academics and students.
The session was moderated by Dr. Ayman Al-Zarou, Director of the Master’s Program in Public Administration and Strategic Planning, who welcomed the Minister and commended her valuable input, praising the comprehensive presentation she delivered on a national model for effective crisis and emergency management.
In her remarks, Dr. Hamad highlighted the experience of the Nineteenth Palestinian Government in establishing the Government Operations Room for the Southern Governorates, which was formed following the temporary halt of aggression on January 19. The objective was to coordinate humanitarian response efforts and institutionalize government action based on clear priorities.
She explained that the Operations Room includes representatives from 38 governmental, international, civil society, and private sector institutions, and operates around the clock to unify interventions in the fields of relief, shelter, water, and essential services, emphasizing that this mechanism has enhanced the effectiveness of the response and accelerated implementation on the ground.
Dr. Hamad also referred to the work of the Ministerial Committee for Emergency Response in the Northern West Bank, which continues to address the needs of displaced families from the heavily impacted camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Al-Far’a, through coordinated action among ministries and partner institutions to ensure shelter and the delivery of basic services.
She concluded her remarks by stressing that the ongoing aggression has resulted in profound psychosocial and nutritional crises, particularly among children, which require long-term interventions that go beyond short-term aid. She called for a unified national and international effort to support the rebuilding of Palestinian lives and to strengthen community resilience.
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