Palestine meets with Qatar Charity and participates in UN meetings in Doha

Doha – November 2025 – On the sidelines of the Second Global Summit on Social Development, Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs, reaffirmed during her official meeting with UNICEF the continuation of joint efforts in the areas of relief and recovery in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, amid the severe humanitarian deterioration caused by the destruction of infrastructure and mass displacement.

She emphasized the importance of providing safe spaces for children and supporting psychosocial programs, in addition to prioritizing essential services in education, health, water, and social protection prior to reconstruction. The two sides agreed to implement a Comprehensive Child Social Protection Project worth USD 30 million in partnership with UNICEF, to enhance support based on multidimensional poverty indicators. Dr. Hamad reaffirmed that the Palestinian National Authority is the sole legitimate body authorized to manage relief and governance efforts, calling for enhanced international coordination, sustainable financing, and transparency in resource management.

In her meeting with representatives of Qatar Charity on the sidelines of the Summit, Dr. Hamad highlighted the worsening situation in the West Bank and Gaza due to the ongoing war, which has led to an increase in the number of orphans and heightened pressure on the Ministry as many families have lost their sources of income. She reviewed the efforts of the Government Operations Room and the National Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, noting the financial crisis resulting from salary delays.

For its part, Qatar Charity reported that it sponsors around 20,000 orphans and has provided over USD 130 million in assistance during and after the war, including USD 16 million in support for Gaza’s affected population. Both parties stressed the importance of coordination through the National Social Registry to avoid duplication of services, strengthen children’s education support, and continue the partnership in alignment with government plans.

Dr. Hamad also participated in a side session held within the Second United Nations Social Summit titled “The Role of Women in Peacebuilding: Voices from the Arab Region,” organized by the League of Arab States, UN Women, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session aimed to highlight the role of Arab women in peace processes and promote regional women mediators’ networks.

In her address, Dr. Hamad spoke about the suffering of Palestinian women amid the ongoing aggression on Gaza and the forced displacement in the northern West Bank, stressing that women are not merely victims but key partners in community resilience and peacebuilding. She reviewed Palestine’s major efforts in implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (UNSCR 1325), including the increased representation of women in decision-making positions, the adoption of successive national action plans for women’s empowerment, and the strengthening of coordination with the Arab Women Mediators Network. She affirmed that achieving just and sustainable peace in Palestine and the region cannot be realized without recognizing women’s roles and enabling their participation in decision-making and nation-building processes.

Dr. Hamad also took part in a special session organized by Mauritania during the Summit, titled “Leadership in Building Inclusive, Adaptive, and Data-Driven Social Protection Systems,” held at the Qatar National Convention Center. During the session, she emphasized that the Palestinian experience in social protection is built on a comprehensive national approach linking relief, early recovery, and sustainable development, with a focus on supporting women, children, and the most vulnerable groups, especially under the ongoing aggression in Gaza and displacement in the northern West Bank.

She added that the Ministry is working to develop the National Social Registry and expand shock-responsive protection networks, highlighting the importance of cooperation and exchange of expertise with Arab countries, particularly Mauritania, to build more inclusive, equitable, and resilient protection systems that are data-driven and responsive to growing humanitarian challenges.

Dr. Hamad also delivered remarks at the ministerial session organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Lebanon, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), titled “From Crisis to Resilience: Establishing Shock-Responsive Social Protection in Times of War in Lebanon.” She emphasized the importance of close coordination with national governments to avoid duplication and strengthen national leadership of humanitarian initiatives, stressing that such cooperation must be translated into practical actions on the ground.

She also highlighted similarities between the Lebanese and Palestinian experiences, particularly in addressing refugee-related challenges and humanitarian pressures, reaffirming the commitment to continued cooperation between the two governments to enhance resilience and social protection across the region.