MoSD Stresses the Importance of Strengthening a Comprehensive Response for Persons with Disabilities
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development emphasized the importance of strengthening national and international efforts to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and respond to their growing needs amid the current humanitarian situation. This came during the Fifth Meeting of the Disability Thematic Working Group, held in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and attended by representatives of governmental, international, and civil society organizations working in the disability sector.
Representing Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Social Development and Minister of State for Relief Affairs, was Deputy Minister Mr. Taha Al-Irani. The meeting coincided with the Minister’s participation in several activities in Nablus Governorate related to supporting services for persons with disabilities, including the signing of an agreement to support nutrition services at Al-Thuraya Center and the handover of a new bus to the center. Also in attendance were Assistant Deputy Minister for Family Protection and Care Mr. Akram Al-Hafi, Advisor to the Ministry of State for Relief Affairs Mr. Mahdi Hamdan, Director General for Persons with Disabilities Mr. Ajaj Ajaj, Deputy Chair of the Disability Thematic Working Group and WFP Programme Manager Mr. Salah Al-Lahham, as well as representatives of international organizations, civil society institutions, and partners working in the disability sector.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Mr. Taha Al-Irani stated that the meeting was taking place under exceptional circumstances facing the Palestinian people, which have exacerbated the humanitarian, social, and economic needs of persons with disabilities, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. He stressed the importance of strengthening coordination among partners, directing resources toward the most urgent priorities, and ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all stages of humanitarian response, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in a manner that protects their rights and dignity and promotes their full participation in society.
For his part, Assistant Deputy Minister for Family Protection and Care Mr. Akram Al-Hafi welcomed the participants and highlighted the increasing challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing their rights and essential services. He pointed in particular to the impact of Israeli occupation practices and restrictions on movement and border crossings, which hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance, assistive devices, and specialized services, especially in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Al-Hafi also referred to several internal challenges that require concerted efforts to address, including the development of updated databases on persons with disabilities, strengthening the relevant legal frameworks, expanding the scope of specialized services and centers, and ensuring the provision of assistive devices and rehabilitation support.
In turn, Advisor to the Ministry of State for Relief Affairs Mr. Mahdi Hamdan underscored the importance of strengthening coordination among international, UN, and national partners working in the disability sector. He referred to ongoing preparations for the upcoming Social Protection Working Group meeting, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, the European Union, and UNICEF, with the aim of developing practical recommendations to improve humanitarian interventions and services provided to persons with disabilities. He also commended the high level of cooperation and commitment demonstrated by the Disability Thematic Working Group.
Director General for Persons with Disabilities Mr. Ajaj Ajaj emphasized that mainstreaming disability issues within national plans and humanitarian response programs remains a key priority for the Ministry. He stressed the importance of unifying efforts among partners to ensure equitable access for persons with disabilities to essential services, assistive devices, and social protection programs. He also highlighted the need to strengthen national disability databases to support evidence-based planning and improve the effectiveness of interventions and services.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chair of the Disability Thematic Working Group and WFP Programme Manager Mr. Salah Al-Lahham reaffirmed the continuation of the partnership with the Ministry of Social Development in supporting programs and services for persons with disabilities. He stressed the importance of integrating disability considerations across humanitarian and development interventions and ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in support and response programs.
Participants discussed the outcomes of the roundtable on disability statistics, which aimed to strengthen the inclusion of persons with disabilities in national data systems and statistical surveys, thereby ensuring the availability of accurate and up-to-date data to support planning, decision-making, and the development of programs and policies targeting this group. Discussions also addressed challenges related to data collection and classification, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation among relevant stakeholders to ensure comprehensive and reliable data.
Representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) presented an overview of services provided to persons with disabilities, including the provision of assistive devices, special education services, vocational rehabilitation, and psychosocial support. They also highlighted emergency response interventions in the northern West Bank, including the expansion of assistive device provision, the establishment of safe spaces for the most vulnerable groups, the distribution of essential supplies, and efforts to ensure continuity of education for children with disabilities affected by displacement.
Participants stressed the importance of strengthening coordination among governmental, international, and civil society organizations and directing resources toward the most urgent priorities, ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all stages of humanitarian response, early recovery, and reconstruction efforts, while enhancing their access to essential services and humanitarian and development programs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants reaffirmed the need to continue joint efforts and strengthen national and international partnerships to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities and ensure their full and effective participation in society and in all response and recovery initiatives.
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.
