Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Social Affairs Sector, stated that the Arab Health Committee for Emergency Preparedness and Response convened its meeting on 20 February via audiovisual communication technology. The meeting was held in accordance with Resolution 2 issued by the Council of Arab Health Ministers during its 61st ordinary session in the Republic of Iraq on 12 December 2024, addressing the health and humanitarian repercussions of the Israeli aggression against the State of Palestine. The session witnessed the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Health of Arab member states, alongside key stakeholders, including the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organisation, the Egyptian Red Crescent, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Ambassador Abu Ghazaleh said that the General Secretariat called for this crucial meeting in light of the recently brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, aiming to enhance coordination among Arab states, UN agencies, and regional and international organisations in delivering humanitarian and medical aid, including life-saving pharmaceuticals, to the Palestinian health sector. The discussions focused on identifying the obstacles hindering the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and formulating future strategies to address the catastrophic impact of Israeli aggression, which has led to the near-total collapse of the Palestinian healthcare system and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
In reaffirming the League of Arab States' steadfast commitment to supporting the Gaza Strip, Ambassador Abu Ghazaleh highlighted the recent high-level humanitarian mission to the Rafah border crossing on 15 February 2025. The delegation included His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Her Excellency the Minister of Social Solidarity, His Excellency the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the League of Arab States, and representatives of the Egyptian Red Crescent. The mission oversaw the delivery of humanitarian aid provided by the League of Arab States to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Additionally, the delegation inspected the Egyptian Red Crescent's warehouses and visited Palestinian wounded and injured civilians receiving medical care at Al-Arish Hospital.
Ambassador Abu Ghazaleh underscored the critical need for sustained support from donor countries, international and regional organisations, and Arab financial institutions to mitigate the devastating impact of the Israeli aggression and to mobilise collective efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza. She further noted that the recommendations issued by the Arab Health Committee for Emergency Preparedness and Response will be presented to the Council of Arab Health Ministers during its upcoming session in Geneva in May 2025.
