Dr. Samah Hamad: The government continues to support the northern camps and enhance relief coordination

 Tulkarm – Minister of Social Development and Minister of State for Relief Affairs, Dr. Samah Hamd, affirmed that the Palestinian government continues its work amid challenging humanitarian and economic conditions in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, stressing that refugee camps in the northern West Bank are a priority for the allocation of resources and government interventions, in light of the escalating violations and pressures they face.

This came during a field visit by the Minister to Tulkarm Governorate, where she held an expanded meeting attended by Major General Abdullah Kmeil, Governor of Tulkarm; Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Taha Al-Irani; Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Development and Planning, Mr. Ashraf Al-Barghouthi; and Director General of NGOs, Mr. Mohammad Salim. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Faisal Salameh, Deputy Governor and Head of the Popular Committee of Tulkarm Camp; Mr. Youssef Fanadqa, Deputy Head of the Popular Committee of Nur Shams Camp; Mr. Mohammad Al-Sabbagh, Head of the Popular Committee of Jenin Camp; Mr. Eyad Jarrah, Secretary of Fatah Movement in Tulkarm; Ms. Nisreen Dhuqan, Director of the Refugee Affairs Department in the North; Ms. Lubna Mudayya, representative of UNRWA; and directors of the Social Development Directorates in Tulkarm and Jenin.

In her remarks, Dr. Hamd explained that the government, through the Government Operations Room—which includes more than 50 national institutions—is working to coordinate relief efforts, early recovery, and preparations for the reconstruction phase amid ongoing humanitarian crises. She emphasized that government work continues despite limited resources and the complex field reality in Gaza and the West Bank.

Dr. Hamd also noted that starting in 2026, the Ministry will move toward restructuring its cash assistance policy by adopting direct and sustainable cash transfers to families, instead of linking assistance to rent, utility bills, or multi-purpose aid. This will be accompanied by efforts to unify databases with UNRWA and popular committees through a unified electronic system, ensuring data accuracy, preventing duplication, and improving the targeting of the poorest households, particularly in northern refugee camps.

The meeting discussed the government’s direction toward mobilizing and channeling financial resources to support northern governorates, especially the camps, in light of growing humanitarian needs. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination and integration among official institutions, international organizations, and popular committees to ensure an effective and organized response to the needs of displaced persons.

Participants also emphasized the importance of the efforts led by Tulkarm Governorate through the Dignity Committee for Relief and Shelter, in partnership with official institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector, in organizing the humanitarian response, ensuring fairness in aid distribution, and operating based on databases, monitoring, and auditing mechanisms for assistance provided to displaced families.

The meeting included interventions from the popular committees of Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin refugee camps, which outlined the difficult conditions of displaced residents and their urgent needs, and presented a number of proposals and recommendations that were discussed within the framework of available government capacities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants affirmed the continuation of joint work between the government and national and international institutions, and the strengthening of coordination and follow-up mechanisms, in order to alleviate the severity of the humanitarian situation and support the resilience of citizens in the northern camps and governorates.