As Part of Her Official Visit to Tunisia: Minister Samah Hamad Meets Tunisian Counterpart and Visits Ministry of Social Affairs Headquarters

Tunis – As part of her official visit to the Republic of Tunisia to participate in the Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Second World Summit for Social Development, Palestinian Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, met with her Tunisian counterpart, H.E. Issam Al-Ahmar, Minister of Social Affairs, during a visit to the ministry's headquarters in Tunis. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Tunisia, H.E. Rami Al-Qaddoumi.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchanging experiences in social protection, empowering vulnerable groups, and improving social response mechanisms amid escalating regional challenges, particularly the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza due to ongoing aggression and blockade.

Dr. Hamad emphasized the importance of activating Arab partnerships to support the resilience of affected families and promote integration within Arab social policy frameworks. She also commended Tunisia’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and its active role in regional and international forums.

Minister Al-Ahmar reaffirmed Tunisia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and expressed his ministry’s readiness to enhance technical and institutional cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development, stressing the need for unified Arab coordination to address pressing social and economic challenges.

Ambassador Al-Qaddoumi highlighted the significance of the meeting in strengthening ties between the two ministries and applauded Dr. Hamad’s efforts to expand cooperation with Arab nations, reflecting a united regional stance on key social and humanitarian issues.

In a related visit, Dr. Hamad met with staff at the Palestinian Embassy in Tunis, where she was briefed on efforts to support the Palestinian community and deliver consular services. She thanked the team for their dedicated national work.

She also followed up on the ongoing "Injaz" high school exams for Palestinian students in Tunisia, which are organized by the Palestinian Embassy in coordination with the Ministry of Education. Dr. Hamad noted that Tunisia is among 37 countries worldwide where these exams are held simultaneously with those in the West Bank and Gaza, using the same schedule and procedures. Exam materials are sent to embassies and returned to Palestine for centralized grading.

The visit concluded with a reaffirmation of the need to build on these bilateral engagements to develop joint programs and enhance Arab cooperation in social affairs, in response to growing humanitarian needs across the region.