Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, received on 9 February Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA, as part of Mr. Fletcher’s visit to the region to assess the prevailing situation and the challenges facing relief operations in Palestine.
Discussions centred on the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan, particularly in light of the grave and unprecedented developments unfolding more than a year after the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The crises and disasters afflicting these countries necessitate a concerted intensification of relief efforts to ensure a more effective response to urgent humanitarian needs. Ambassador Zaki commended OCHA and other United Nations agencies for their invaluable efforts in this regard, underscoring the critical importance of collective action and the mobilisation of resources to support these nations. He further stressed the need for a comprehensive response strategy aimed at mitigating the severe economic, social, and humanitarian repercussions they continue to endure.
Mr. Fletcher provided an overview of the situation in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan, drawing from his visits and consultations in these countries. He highlighted the alarming reality that approximately 25 million people in Sudan require humanitarian assistance due to escalating conflict and restricted humanitarian access. He also underscored the extensive devastation suffered by the Gaza Strip across all sectors, particularly the health sector, stressing the urgency of identifying critical needs and enhancing the intervention of relevant international organisations to deliver effective humanitarian relief.
The meeting also referenced the action plan signed between the League of Arab States and OCHA for the period 2025–2027, in implementation of the memorandum of understanding established in 2010, which outlines the organisation of joint activities and events. Furthermore, it was noted that the Council of Arab Health Ministers, in its session on 12 December 2024, approved OCHA’s participation in its meetings as an observer.
