Minister Hamad Concludes Visit to Qalqilya with Field Tour in Azzun: "We Will Continue Supporting Staff and Responding to the Needs of the Most Affected Areas"
Qalqilya – Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamad, continued her visit to Qalqilya Governorate with a field tour of the Ministry’s Directorate in Qalqilya and its branch office in Azzun. She emphasized that strengthening the Ministry’s response in marginalized and affected areas remains a top government priority, especially under the current economic challenges and imposed restrictions.
Accompanied by Qalqilya Governor Major General Hussam Abu Hamda, Deputy Minister Mr. Taha Al-Irani, Director of the Qalqilya Directorate Mr. Maher Odeh, Azzun Mayor Mr. Fadel Hawari, Kafr Thulth Mayor Mr. Jihad Odeh, and Asla Village Council Head Mr. Suleiman Othman, the visit also included a delegation of general directors and department officials from the Ministry.
Mr. Maher Odeh delivered a detailed presentation on key interventions carried out by the Ministry, covering health insurance files, support for the elderly, and regulation of nurseries. He also outlined challenges related to staff shortages, calling for improved resource distribution and strengthened community partnerships.
Dr. Hamad concluded her visit in the town of Azzun, where she met with staff at the branch office and praised their dedication under exceptional circumstances. She affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to reviewing the town’s demands, particularly regarding the reintegration of eastern villages under its jurisdiction, human resource support, and improving service quality for vulnerable groups.
Governor Abu Hamda expressed pride in the steadfastness of Azzun, describing it as a “national stronghold” and stressing that addressing challenges requires unity and coordination between official and community actors.
Azzun Mayor Mr. Fadel Hawari highlighted the difficult living conditions due to ongoing closures since the outbreak of war on Gaza, noting the martyrdom of 13 residents and the detention of over 170 others, along with the denial of farmers’ access to their lands.
He pointed to a severe shortage of staff, with one social worker handling over 800 cases without even the minimum operational supplies, affirming the municipality’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with the Ministry to serve the local population.
This visit falls within the Ministry’s broader plan to intensify its field presence and ensure that social protection services reach the most vulnerable areas.
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.
