MoSD & Thalassemia Patients’ Friends Society Sign Agreement to Strengthen Inclusion of Patients in Social Protection Programs
Ramallah – As part of the Ministry’s efforts to expand and strengthen the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups in support and service programs, the Ministry of Social Development signed a cooperation agreement today with the Thalassemia Patients’ Friends Society. The agreement aims to enhance the inclusion of thalassemia patients, particularly those living in poverty, within social protection programs, social assistance schemes, and economic empowerment initiatives, thereby improving their quality of life and access to essential services.
The agreement was signed by H.E. Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Social Development, and Dr. Iyad Sandouqa, President of the Thalassemia Patients’ Friends Society, in the presence of Ministry representatives, including Mr. Taha Al-Irani, Undersecretary of the Ministry, Mr. Akram Al-Hafi, Assistant Undersecretary for Social Care and Development, Mr. Ajaj Ajaj, Director General of the General Directorate for Persons with Disabilities, and Mr. Mohammad Salim, Director General of the General Directorate for Associations and Local Community Affairs. Representatives of the Society also attended, including Ms. Jihad Abu Ghosh, Secretary of the Society, and Mr. Hazem Alian, Board Member and Head of the Funding Committee.
Dr. Samah Hamad emphasized the importance of the agreement in strengthening responses to the social, economic, and health needs of thalassemia patients and their families, particularly in light of the current humanitarian and economic challenges. She praised the Society’s role in supporting patients and raising public awareness of issues affecting them. She further noted that the Ministry continues to develop its interventions targeting persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, while strengthening partnerships with civil society and community-based organizations to ensure more inclusive and equitable access to services.
For his part, Dr. Iyad Sandouqa welcomed the signing of the agreement, describing it as an important step toward enhancing social and economic support for thalassemia patients and their families and improving their access to social protection services and economic empowerment programs.
Mr. Taha Al-Irani, Undersecretary of the Ministry, highlighted the importance of partnerships between the Ministry and specialized civil society organizations, noting that the Ministry is continuously developing its interventions to ensure services reach the most vulnerable groups, including thalassemia patients and their families.
Meanwhile, Ms. Jihad Abu Ghosh, Secretary of the Society, presented an overview of the situation of thalassemia patients and the challenges they face. She pointed to the increasing number of registered cases in recent years and stressed the need to strengthen awareness campaigns, medical screening programs, and psychosocial support services for patients and their families.
The agreement aims to enhance cooperation and coordination between the two parties to ensure that eligible patients are included in social assistance programs and to explore opportunities for integrating those capable of work into economic empowerment programs and income-generating projects. It also places special emphasis on children with thalassemia and persons with disabilities resulting from the disease.
In addition, the agreement covers the implementation of joint awareness-raising programs and activities aimed at increasing public awareness of the rights and social and economic needs of thalassemia patients. It also seeks to strengthen coordination and data-sharing mechanisms to support the development of effective responses for this group, in accordance with established procedures and approved standards.
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.
