Palestinian health minister presses UNICEF on health sector crisis
The minister outlined shortages, destruction and movement limits in Gaza and the West Bank, and called for more international support for the system.
Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan met a UNICEF-Palestine delegation on Monday to discuss the health crisis and the challenges facing the sector, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The delegation included Hendrikus Raaijmakers, Chief of Health and Nutrition, and Flint Kenna Zulu, Immunization Specialist, along with Amer Khader of the Health and Nutrition Programme.
Anas al-Deek, head of the ministry's public relations and media unit, attended the meeting.
Abu Ramadan described a severe health crisis in the Gaza Strip, citing widespread destruction of healthcare infrastructure, serious shortages of medicines and medical supplies, and major difficulties for citizens reaching essential services.
In the West Bank, he said, Israeli military incursions and measures, movement restrictions on citizens and medical teams, and an ongoing financial crisis were hampering the ministry's ability to provide services.
He called for intensified international efforts to support the resilience of the Palestinian health system and to ensure its operations continue.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen joint cooperation, with a focus on maternal and child health and on health programs designed to meet citizens' immediate needs and improve crisis response.
Abu Ramadan stressed the need for ongoing coordination with UNICEF and other international partners to make healthcare services sustainable and improve their quality.
UNICEF works in the Palestinian territories on areas including child health, nutrition and immunization, which are reflected in the titles of the delegation members.
Health services in Gaza and the West Bank have faced prolonged strain amid the wider conflict in the region.