Jordan urges international action for ceasefire, humanitarian aid access in Gaza

Amman: The Jordanian government has called upon the international community to support an immediate cessation of bloodshed in Gaza and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian teams and essential supplies. This call was made during a statement delivered by Minister of Health Firas Hawari on Tuesday at the World Health Organization's (WHO) 77th World Health Assembly, where he reaffirmed Jordan's dedication to embodying the session's theme, "All for Health, Health for All," by establishing a resilient healthcare system that leaves no one behind. As stated by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, Hawari emphasized the gravity of the situation in Gaza during discussions about universal health rights. He described the events unfolding there as one of the most significant man-made humanitarian crises of the century, marked by atrocities against vulnerable groups, including children, women, and the elderly. This includes displacement, the targeting of medical facilities and vehicles, and the utter breakdown of the hea lthcare system. These circumstances have rendered the region uninhabitable, leaving surviving residents vulnerable to disease, hunger, and thirst. He added, "With approximately 36,000 deaths and over 80,000 wounded, the majority being women and children, how many years, indeed decades, will it take for us to recover from this catastrophe? And how credible is our call today that health is for all and all for health?" Furthermore, Hawari underscored that Jordan is one of the countries greatly affected by all global crises, as political unrest has swept through the region for over seven decades, resulting in large waves of refugees, with Jordan bearing the brunt of them. He said "today we take pride in our commitment to the humanitarian duty of hosting refugees and adopting an inclusive approach, without exception, despite the draining reality on all resources, especially healthcare." Highlighting the importance of collective action to ensure the international community's commitment to its humanitarian oblig ations in guaranteeing the right to health for all, he stressed the importance of continued support and funding for refugee-supporting agencies such as UNRWA. Hawari pointed out the catastrophic impact of the cessation of this funding on the lives of Palestinian refugees and the countries hosting them, such as Jordan. Additionally, he called for the enhancement of the noble mission of medicine and a return to the noble profession's principles, emphasizing the imperative of saving lives. Source: Jordan News Agency