Jerusalem: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Tuesday briefed members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State of Palestine on the deteriorating health situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory and the mounting challenges facing the Palestinian healthcare sector amid ongoing Israeli aggression and measures targeting Palestinian institutions.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the briefing was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin and Minister of Health Majed Abu Ramadan. Minister Shahin emphasized that the challenges facing the Palestinian healthcare sector are intertwined with the broader targeting of Palestinian institutions. She noted that the destruction of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip, coupled with financial restrictions and Israeli measures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is aimed at undermining the ability of Palestinian institutions to deliver essential services to citizens.
Minister Shahin highlighted that Palestinians are experiencing growing insecurity and instability due to military incursions, colonists' violence, closures, and checkpoints. These conditions directly hinder Palestinian citizens' access to healthcare services and exacerbate psychological and social pressures, particularly among children and youth.
Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan detailed the unprecedented health and financial challenges facing the Palestinian healthcare sector, noting that Israel's continued withholding of clearance revenues has triggered a severe financial crisis. This crisis threatens the sustainability of health services, with the Ministry of Health's accumulated debt reaching approximately $1.365 billion. Hospitals and healthcare centers continue to face critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
Minister Abu Ramadan pointed out that around 47 percent of essential medicines in the Gaza Strip have reached zero-stock levels. In addition, the number of attacks and violations targeting the healthcare sector across the occupied Palestinian Territory has exceeded 1,955 since October 2023. Thousands of patients, including those with cancer and chronic diseases, face increasing risks due to disruptions in treatment and shortages of medicines and medical equipment.
Both ministers urged the international community to take urgent action to protect the Palestinian healthcare sector. They called for the unhindered delivery of humanitarian and medical supplies, the release of withheld clearance revenues, and the provision of necessary support to Palestinian health institutions. These measures are crucial to safeguarding the Palestinian people's right to health and life in accordance with international law.