MoSD and the Palestinian Red Crescent: Joint Support for Rehabilitation and Emergency Response Services
Ramallah – Thursday, May 15, 2025 – Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, conducted an official visit to the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Al-Bireh. She was received by PRCS President Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, Director General Mr. Khaled Yaqub Haidar Abu Ghoush, and a number of professionals specialized in rehabilitation and community services.
The two parties discussed ways to strengthen joint coordination in emergency and humanitarian response, particularly in light of the worsening living conditions in Gaza and the ongoing military incursions in the West Bank.
Dr. Hamad received a comprehensive briefing from the PRCS team on the current health and humanitarian interventions in both the West Bank and Gaza. Despite operating under extremely difficult conditions, PRCS continues to provide critical services. In Gaza, the society runs two hospitals (Al-Amal in Khan Younis and Al-Quds in Gaza City), in addition to two field hospitals, around 20 medical points, and five primary care clinics. However, PRCS teams are facing severe challenges due to the shortage of fuel and medical supplies, currently operating at one-third of their ambulance fleet’s capacity.
In the West Bank, PRCS provides emergency medical and humanitarian services during repeated incursions and violations. Their teams help evacuate besieged families, provide first aid to the injured, and distribute relief aid in Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps, in coordination with partners. PRCS personnel are frequently exposed to attacks and Israeli-imposed restrictions while carrying out their humanitarian duties.
Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, PRCS President, emphasized the importance of the partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and its role in strengthening the resilience of marginalized groups in Palestinian society. He reaffirmed the Society’s readiness to support all governmental programs amid escalating challenges.
Dr. Hamad commended PRCS for its leading role and continued collaboration with government institutions. She stressed the importance of unifying efforts to deliver an integrated emergency response, particularly in Gaza, which is witnessing a severe humanitarian collapse due to the ongoing closure and obstruction of humanitarian aid entry.
At the conclusion of the visit, a new cooperation agreement was signed between the Ministry of Social Development and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, aimed at supporting and expanding day rehabilitation services and autism spectrum care for persons with disabilities, serving 60 cases per month. Services covered include psychosocial rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
Dr. Hamad affirmed that the agreement aligns with the government’s efforts to protect marginalized and affected groups, and to enhance psychosocial support interventions during emergencies. She emphasized that the government is committed to providing dignified shelter solutions for displaced families, favoring rental options out of respect for citizens’ dignity, while working on reconstruction proposals to be presented to international partners and donors.
Dr. Al-Khatib stated that this step reflects the Society’s continued commitment to the most vulnerable groups, particularly persons with disabilities, and complements PRCS’s broader role through its network of rehabilitation centers across the West Bank and Gaza, which provide comprehensive care and rehabilitation services.
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MoSD Explores Ways to Strengthen the Social Protection System and Expand Its Interventions in Gaza and the West Bank
Ramallah – Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, met with representatives of the “Sawasiya” Project to discuss ways to enhance and expand the Ministry of Social Development’s role within the social protection system, particularly in light of the escalating challenges facing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The meeting was attended by a team from the “Sawasya” project, headed by the program director, Simon Ridley. On the Ministry side, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Taha Al-Irani, the State Ministry’s Advisor for Relief Affairs, Mahdi Hamdan, the Director of the Women’s Protection Department, Hiba Jibat, the Director of the Child Protection Department, Muhammad Al-Qarm, and the Acting Director of the General Administration for Legal Affairs, Ms. Aya Adawi, along with a number of specialists. During the meeting, Dr. Hamad emphasized that the Ministry’s role within the Sawasiya Programme remains limited compared to the responsibilities entrusted to it. She stressed the need to expand this role to cover various protection interventions, in line with the Ministry’s legal mandate, and to ensure complementarity of efforts with international partners and civil society organizations. The meeting also addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, reviewing ongoing interventions in the areas of women’s and children’s protection, and the challenges related to limited direct access to services due to imposed restrictions. The discussion further highlighted the importance of re-prioritizing needs during the upcoming transitional phase, expected to span approximately 18 months, in order to strengthen humanitarian response and early recovery efforts. In this context, Dr. Hamad underscored the importance of developing a comprehensive national protection plan led by the Ministry in partnership with relevant stakeholders, to define priorities and guide resources. She also stressed the need to align interventions with evolving field developments and enhance coordination among various institutions. The meeting further discussed the reality of women’s protection in light of challenges related to case referrals and access to protection services. It was noted that only a limited percentage of violence cases reach specialized authorities, which calls for strengthening reporting mechanisms, raising community awareness, and improving a multi-sectoral response system. Regarding child protection, the Minister reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to regulate the orphan sponsorship sector through the initiative “No Orphan Will Be Left Without Sponsorship,” which aims to establish a unified national database and regulate mechanisms for providing financial and service support to ensure fairness and transparency in the distribution of assistance. Dr. Hamad also emphasized the importance of strengthening family-based care for children deprived of parental care, rather than expanding residential shelter institutions. She noted that work is currently underway to develop a comprehensive national strategy in this field in partnership with UNICEF. The meeting also addressed ongoing efforts to develop the national social registry to include updated data on affected individuals and families, supporting relief and recovery operations. Mechanisms were also discussed for following up on children who have been evacuated for medical treatment abroad, ensuring their continued protection and safeguarding their legal identity. In a related context, the Minister stressed the necessity of enhancing the protection of personal data of beneficiaries, especially women and children, and developing systems and procedures that ensure confidentiality and prevent misuse of information. Several issues related to the development of protection services were also discussed, including the establishment of safe child visitation centers, strengthening juvenile care services, supporting women within rehabilitation and correction centers, and addressing addiction as a social issue requiring integrated interventions. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue joint coordination, exchange data and assessments, and work on developing clear implementation plans supported by performance indicators, contributing to enhancing the efficiency of the national response and ensuring that social protection services reach the most vulnerable groups.
MoSD Meets with Swedish and Belgian Representatives to Enhance Cooperation
Ramallah – As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international partnerships and expand support for Palestinian citizens amid the exceptional humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, received the Consul General of Sweden, Sophie Baker, and the Consul General of Belgium, Annick Van Calster. The meeting focused on ways to enhance cooperation and coordination, in the presence of the Minister’s Advisor, Doaa Wadi, and Advisor to the Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Mahdi Hamdan. During the meeting, Dr. Hamad reviewed the current humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need to sustain organized relief efforts and improve response tools through the development of comprehensive national databases that contribute to enhancing the efficiency of service and aid delivery and ensuring that assistance reaches those most in need. Dr. Hamad also addressed the situation in the northern governorates of the West Bank, particularly Jenin and Tulkarm, in light of repeated incursions that have resulted in displacement waves and extensive damage to the homes of a number of families. She noted that this requires urgent and sustainable interventions to provide protection and support to affected families, including efforts to identify appropriate housing solutions. In the same context, Dr. Hamad outlined the Ministry’s service system, which includes eighteen core services in addition to two new services introduced during the current year as part of efforts to develop the social protection system. These services include housing allowances for displaced families, cash assistance programs, and care and protection services for the most vulnerable groups, as well as the development of the national social registry and the implementation of field surveys required to update household data and improve targeting accuracy. She emphasized the importance of supporting these services and ensuring the continued operation of social protection centers as a fundamental pillar of the national protection system, calling for expanding areas of cooperation to contribute to improving the quality of services provided to target groups. For their part, the two consuls expressed their countries’ interest in exploring possible avenues of cooperation to support the social protection programs provided by the Ministry, including protection centers, and in coordinating with relevant stakeholders to ensure the continuity and development of these services in response to growing needs.
