Dr. Samah Hamad Signs Cooperation Agreement with Aisha Association to Strengthen Child Protection Services in Gaza
As part of the efforts of the Ministry of Social Development to strengthen the social protection system and expand specialized interventions for children in the Gaza Strip, the Minister of Social Development, Dr. Samah Hamad, signed today—via video conference—a cooperation agreement with the Aisha Association for Woman and Child Protection.
The agreement aims to restore and enhance protection and care services for children most at risk in the Gaza Strip, and to expand the national capacity to respond to complex humanitarian and social cases amid the exceptional conditions facing the area. These circumstances have created an increasing need for specialized and safe interventions that ensure children’s protection and safeguard their fundamental rights.
The meeting included the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the presence of Assistant Undersecretary for Family Care and Protection Akram Al-Hafi, Director General of Childhood Mohammed Al-Qaram, and the Ministry’s representative in Gaza Saeed Al-Ustaz, along with a number of ministry staff members. Representatives from partner institutions also participated, including UNICEF, Save the Children, Terre des Hommes Switzerland, Taawon, SOS Children's Villages, United Nations Population Fund, UN Women, and the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling.
During the meeting, Dr. Hamad emphasized that this agreement represents an important step toward restoring essential services related to protection, care, and empowerment in the Gaza Strip. She noted that the Ministry—under the directives of the Palestinian leadership—continues working to ensure the continuity of its core services despite the extremely difficult humanitarian conditions caused by the ongoing aggression and its widespread impact on children, women, and families.
She added that restoring protection services in Gaza constitutes a significant national and institutional challenge, but at the same time reflects a strong determination to persevere—both at the level of the government and partner institutions, as well as among field staff. She affirmed that the Ministry continues to prioritize protection and care services alongside relief interventions as part of its core responsibilities toward the most vulnerable groups.
Dr. Hamad explained that the agreement focuses on providing specialized protection services for children from one day old up to 18 years of age who require urgent intervention and temporary care. The services will operate within the approved Palestinian protection system, including case referrals through the Ministry, monitoring protection plans, and implementing follow-up and exit mechanisms in accordance with national legal and professional standards applied in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
She further noted that the targeted children belong to the most vulnerable groups, particularly in light of the increasing number of at-risk and unaccompanied children in Gaza due to the ongoing war and the resulting displacement, loss, family separation, and severe psychological and social pressures.
Dr. Hamad stressed that the Ministry is committed to providing full support to ensure the success of this service, whether through its staff working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank or by mobilizing partnerships with supporting institutions and donors to meet the necessary needs. She emphasized that this work is being carried out within a national vision aimed at establishing a unified Palestinian protection system linking the West Bank and the Gaza Strip while taking into account the specific humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
For her part, the Chairwoman of the Board of the Aisha Association, Taghreed Jumaa, highlighted the importance of this step in strengthening protection services in the Gaza Strip. She praised the support of partners—particularly UNICEF—for enabling the organization to launch this intervention, which will contribute to providing a more effective response for children and women in need of protection.
Dr. Hamad also expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnerships with national and international organizations working in the field of protection. She stressed that the current phase requires further cooperation and coordinated efforts to ensure the sustainability of social services and strengthen the national protection system’s ability to reach the most vulnerable groups, thereby reinforcing the resilience of Palestinian society in the face of ongoing challenges.
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