Palestine, at the social summit in Detroit, is facing child starvation and a lack of social protection
During the Second World Summit on Social Development held in Doha, the statement of the State of Palestine was presented by H.E. Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Affairs. Dr. Hamad affirmed that what is happening in Palestine constitutes a systematic dismantling of the social fabric and a deliberate destruction of the foundations of life. She called on the international community to stop the “starvation of children” and to rebuild a social protection system founded on justice and rights.
Dr. Hamad stated that the Palestinian people are not facing a natural famine but an imposed blockade, pointing out that the occupation and war have destroyed homes, schools, and hospitals, turning daily life into an ongoing humanitarian tragedy. She emphasized that the reconstruction of Gaza must mean restoring humanity, not merely rebuilding walls. She noted that the government’s plan for relief, early recovery, and reconstruction — which includes 18 sectors and hundreds of projects — outlines a pathway for transition from crisis to sustainable development by linking immediate relief to long-term reconstruction.
The Minister also stressed that the Ministry of Social Development continues to reach the most vulnerable groups — including children, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities — providing shelter services, cash assistance, and psychosocial and social care that preserves human dignity. She affirmed that Palestine is ready to lead this effort through national plans and strong, transparent institutions.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development, in cooperation with the State of Qatar, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNICEF, organized a side event entitled “The Multidimensional Impacts on Social Development and Social Fabric in Palestine: Innovative Solutions for Social Protection and Justice.”
The event shed light on the suffering of Palestinian families under occupation and the devastating impacts of the blockade and aggression on social development. It underscored the need to rebuild the social fabric through a rights-based and shock-responsive protection system. The discussions called for strengthening international partnerships and launching a global support platform for Palestinian social reconstruction based on justice and sustainability, stressing that the suffering of the Palestinian people must remain at the heart of the global social development agenda.
Dr. Hamad also expressed her gratitude to the United Nations for its continued support to the Palestinian people, highlighting the importance of maintaining this cooperation amid the dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. During her meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, both sides emphasized the need to enhance coordination between UN agencies and Palestinian ministries to ensure the effectiveness of relief efforts in the Strip.
Dr. Hamad stressed the importance of ensuring that Palestine and its cause occupy a prominent position among the priorities of the Social Development Summit, given the escalating humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people, which requires a fair and comprehensive international response.
The event was attended by H.E. Dr. Maya Morsi, Minister of Social Solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt; H.E. Wafaa Bani Mustafa, Minister of Social Development of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; and the Assistant Secretary-General for Social Affairs, along with the representative of the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD). Participants discussed ways to enhance the inclusion of persons with disabilities in contexts of emergency, recovery, and development.
Dr. Hamad also met with H.E. Buthaina Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Social Development and Family in the State of Qatar, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two sides in the social and humanitarian fields, including support for protection and care programs for affected groups in Palestine. The meeting addressed mechanisms for exchanging expertise in developing social protection systems and women’s empowerment, as well as expanding programs targeting orphans, poor families, and those affected by the aggression on the Gaza Strip, in line with national recovery and reconstruction plans.
Dr. Hamad expressed her appreciation to the State of Qatar for its supportive positions toward the Palestinian people and its ongoing role in supporting developmental and social efforts, stressing the importance of continued Arab coordination to achieve sustainable and comprehensive responses.
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MoSD Launches Consultations on the Draft Decree-Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Its Implementation Mechanisms
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development launched consultations today, Wednesday, on the development of the Draft Decree-Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its implementation mechanisms in the State of Palestine. The launch took place during an expanded meeting attended by representatives of persons with disabilities and their organizations, government institutions, international organizations, civil society organizations, and members of the specialized technical committee. The meeting was opened by Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister of State for Relief Dr. Samah Hamad, in the presence of UNICEF Chief of Social Policy Artur Ayvazov; Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Union of Persons with Disabilities Majdi Mar’i; Assistant Undersecretary for Family Welfare and Protection Akram Al-Hafi; Director General of the General Directorate for Persons with Disabilities Ajaj Ajaj; and Ministry staff representing the relevant departments and directorates. The meeting also brought together representatives of ministries, government institutions, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, organizations of persons with disabilities, international organizations, local civil society organizations, members of the technical committee, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Dr. Hamad affirmed that work on the Draft Decree-Law represents an important step towards establishing a comprehensive legal and legislative framework that safeguards the rights of persons with disabilities and clearly defines the responsibilities of the various stakeholders, as well as mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, and accountability. She stressed the need to ensure the genuine and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations throughout all stages of drafting the law and to align it with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the State of Palestine’s international obligations. She explained that persons with disabilities, alongside women, children, and older persons, are among those most exposed to risks amid the aggression against the Gaza Strip and the escalating attacks, closures, and forced displacement in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. This makes ensuring their access to protection, services, assistive devices, and rehabilitation a fundamental priority within humanitarian interventions, the social protection system, and recovery and reconstruction plans. Dr. Hamad noted that the Ministry is working to develop its services and expand their accessibility by providing assistive devices and equipment, strengthening services delivered through its district offices, supporting the operation of Al-Thuraya Centre for Persons with Severe Disabilities in Nablus, and reforming and regulating the customs exemption system for vehicles used by persons with disabilities. She emphasized that finalizing the law requires a comprehensive legal, financial, and institutional review to produce a nationally agreed-upon draft that can be implemented in accordance with existing priorities and available resources. Dr. Hamad further stressed that the law must be comprehensive and responsive to the changing realities and growing needs imposed by the Palestinian context, particularly the unprecedented rise in the number of persons with disabilities resulting from the genocide in the Gaza Strip. She explained that the preparation of the law will be accompanied by a study assessing its financial impact and identifying the resources and priorities required for its implementation. A realistic and phased implementation plan will also be developed, taking into consideration the particularities of the Palestinian context and the resources available, to ensure that the law’s provisions are translated into enforceable rights and accessible services. For his part, UNICEF Chief of Social Policy Artur Ayvazov emphasized the importance of developing a comprehensive and implementable legislative framework that translates the rights of persons with disabilities into tangible policies, programmes, and services. He highlighted the importance of linking the legislative process with the financial assessment to identify priorities, required resources, and phases of implementation in a realistic and sustainable manner. Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Union of Persons with Disabilities Majdi Mar’i stressed that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations must be key partners in drafting, reviewing, and monitoring the implementation of the law. This would ensure that the legislation reflects their actual needs and lived experiences and advances their rights to equality, non-discrimination, accessibility, and full participation in society. The meeting featured a series of presentations and interventions by Ministry representatives, members of the technical committee, and partners. These addressed the current state of the rights of persons with disabilities and the main challenges they face, as well as the legal process for developing the Draft Decree-Law, the methodology for assessing its financial impact, the work plan, the consultation process, and the forthcoming implementation steps. The meeting also included an extensive discussion among representatives of government institutions, organizations of persons with disabilities, international organizations, and civil society organizations on the provisions of the Draft Decree-Law, rights- and service-related priorities, and mechanisms for ensuring the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the drafting and review process. The meeting concluded by reaffirming the commitment to continued cooperation and coordination among the Ministry, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, and all partners, with the aim of developing a comprehensive and implementable national law that safeguards the rights of persons with disabilities and promotes their independence, participation, and full inclusion in society.
MoSD and Ministry of State for Relief Stress the Urgent Need for Action to Prevent the Worsening Humanitarian Catastrophe Threatening Children in the Gaza Strip
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of State for Relief warned of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions facing children in the Gaza Strip. They affirmed that the threats confronting children today are no longer limited to the direct consequences of the aggression, but have developed into a multidimensional crisis endangering their lives, health, development, and future amid continued restrictions on the entry of aid and the decline of health, nutrition, water, education, and protection services. Recent United Nations and international reports indicate that children in Gaza continue to bear the heaviest toll. More than 21,000 children have been killed since October 2023, while the number of children sustaining permanent disabilities and life-altering injuries continues to rise. Children also remain at risk from unexploded ordnance, which has caused hundreds of incidents, injuries, and deaths. Food security and nutrition data reveal an extremely alarming situation. More than 74,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, including over 11,000 children facing severe acute malnutrition. Only approximately 30.3% of children aged 6–23 months receive the minimum level of dietary diversity, while just 22.4% receive a minimum acceptable diet. The nutrition crisis cannot be separated from the collapse of children’s living environment. Estimates indicate that approximately 90% of water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged, while a significant proportion of families face water insecurity. Many residents are unable to access even the minimum quantity of water required for their daily needs, increasing the risk of skin, intestinal, and respiratory diseases and further exposing children already suffering from malnutrition and weakened immunity. The crisis also affects education and children’s psychosocial development. More than 625,000 school-age children have been deprived of formal education for the third consecutive year. Many lack access to in-person learning and continue to endure repeated displacement, bereavement, fear, and family instability, leaving long-term psychological and developmental consequences. In response to this reality, the Ministry of Social Development, in partnership with local and international organizations, continued to implement integrated child protection and care interventions during the first half of 2026. These interventions combined humanitarian relief, protection, case management, psychosocial support, alternative care, and family follow-up. In the field of child protection, Ministry teams and partners received 316 reports concerning children in need of protection and assessed 181 cases. They responded to 144 cases involving children exposed to violence and physical abuse, 59 cases involving children exposed to sexual abuse, and 140 cases involving children exposed to severe neglect. They also followed up on 258 cases after the necessary interventions had been provided and intervened in cases involving 208 separated and unaccompanied children. Alternative care interventions included admitting 50 children to the SOS Children’s Village and Al-Awda Shelter Centre and three children to the Palestinian Orphanage. The Ministry and its partners also followed up on 342 children in residential care institutions, monitored the situation of 111 children following their reunification with their families, and followed up on 173 children placed with foster families, in addition to coordinating and networking with organizations working in child protection. In the area of psychosocial support, thousands of individual and group psychological support and counselling services were provided. Referrals were also coordinated among organizations to ensure that cases could access the appropriate services. Child-related relief interventions continued as well, including the provision of food, clothing, vouchers, and essential supplies. The Ministry also placed special priority on supporting orphans. Thousands of sponsorships and food, health, and in-kind assistance packages were provided, while 5,650 newly orphaned children were added to the orphans database. Support was also extended to families caring for orphans, and interventions were carried out for unaccompanied orphaned children, including the provision of food, milk, clothing, mattresses, vouchers, and healthcare services. In parallel, the Ministry and its partners provided more than 4.4 million units of humanitarian and relief assistance in the Gaza Strip during 2026. These included approximately 4.36 million units of food and drinking-water assistance, in addition to around 128,000 units of shelter assistance and essential supplies, including tents, blankets, mattresses, health kits, and hygiene and childcare supplies. The Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of State for Relief warned that continued restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, nutritional supplements, infant formula, and health supplies, together with the decline in water, education, and protection services, risk turning the current crisis into permanent consequences for an entire generation of children. These include stunting, delayed physical and cognitive development, increased acquired disabilities, and worsening psychological and social problems. Accordingly, the two ministries call on the international community, the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, and donors to exert genuine pressure to ensure the full and sustained opening of crossings and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance. Priority items include food, nutritional supplements for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, infant formula, medicines, vaccines, medical and therapeutic supplies, and the equipment required to remove unexploded ordnance and rubble. They also call for urgent and sustainable funding for child protection, psychosocial support, alternative care, orphan sponsorship, education, nutrition, rehabilitation, and healthcare programmes for children with disabilities and serious injuries. Such funding is essential to ensure the continuity of services and strengthen families’ ability to protect and care for their children. The two ministries affirm that protecting Gaza’s children cannot wait. Every day that access to humanitarian assistance and essential services remains disrupted means more hunger, illness, loss, and deprivation—and further harm that may become impossible to reverse.
