Palestinians children search through the rubble of their home a day after an operation by the Israeli Special Forces in the Nuseirat camp, in the central Gaza Strip on June 9, 2024. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)
Amman: Jordan is due to hold an international conference tomorrow, June 11, on the urgent humanitarian response for the Gaza Strip. The conference is jointly organised by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations to coordinate a unified international response to the humanitarian situation in the Strip, as well as determining the effective mechanisms and steps required for response and the essential operational and logistical needs in this framework.
The event comes within the framework of the Arab support for the Palestinian question, along with the unwavering efforts dedicated to harnessing the global support of the Palestinian question and surging life-saving assistance either through the Rafah crossing or airdropping operation.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Jordan's Minister of Government Communications and Government Spokesperson, HE Dr. Muhannad Mubaidin said the conference comes at a very critical time to deliver humanitarian aid to over two million people in the Strip, while the Zionist aggression is trying, by all means, to deprive Gazans of the simplest human rights, amid shortage of fuel, something that will squarely affect the operation of hospitals, schools and all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Mubaidin echoed the momentum the Palestinian question has garnered the world's attention to the brutality of the Israeli assaults which have heretofore, resulted in the martyrdom and wounding of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children, along with the medical personnel, UNRWA staff, as well as journalists and media professionals.
This convention comes amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip, due to the unceasing Israeli war since October 7, 2023, despite regional and global condemnations to end this devastating war, Dr. Mubaidin noted, highlighting that the conference strives to ensure the internationalisation of Gaza issue. Therefore, he said, practical steps should be taken to stop the war and move forward to Gaza relief and reconstruction.
Dr. Mubaidin highlighted that the convention underscores the enduring Jordanian diplomatic efforts towards the overall Palestinian issue and Gaza war in particular, and today the conference leads an international commitment to the need for surging the humanitarian assistance into Gaza sustainably and alleviating the burden of war, pointing out that it is very critical to ensure sustainability of the international response, either through galvanising the international support, delivering assistance through crossings or airdropping with the significance of stepping up post-war efforts and commitments for reconstruction, he added.
For his part, Former Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Jawad Anani said that from day one, Jordan has been spearheading a wide diversity of campaigns in support of Gazans through airdropping and land delivery of live-saving humanitarian assistance, in addition to organising the efforts to make Jordan a focal point between Donors and the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Anani emphasized that the continuation of the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip could result in a volatile situation in the region, as well as long-term wars and conflict, thus dramatically affecting the surrounding economies.
Speaking to QNA, Dr. Anani highlighted that these efforts imply leveraging the media and all available means to strengthen support and solidarity with the Palestinians, along with the massive Jordan-led diplomatic efforts, alongside the Arab sister countries through intensive engagements with different world leaders.
He outlined that the position of Arab nations is consistent and aims to end the war, deliver humanitarian assistance, and ensure the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories to achieve real peace and grant the Palestinians their full rights in an independent state.
Dr. Anani affirmed that what is required today is to galvanise all possible opinions and energies in support of Palestine, whether in terms of governments, non-governmental humanitarian organisations, or other blocs worldwide and the entire region. He pointed out that the conference comes as part of a series of attempts, not governments alone, but also included other conferences like the medical conference that was held last April to rebuild the health sector in Gaza.
The conference will comprise three working groups whose discussions will primarily focus on providing humanitarian aid to Gaza in proportion to needs, addressing challenges that preclude the delivery of humanitarian aid, protecting civilians, and early recovery priorities.
For his part, Professor of Political Science at Hashemite University, Jamal Al Shalabi, said in a special statement to QNA that the international conference hosted by Jordan culminates Jordan's efforts in supporting the Palestinian cause, adding that Jordan has always provided practical and tangible support and assistance to Palestinians, at all phases of long and bitter conflict with the usurping occupation.
He added that the Jordan-Egypt-UN initiative to organise this conference indicates that there is a certain vision among the active and influential countries in this war, about the necessity of ending the Israeli operations and starting an Arab-Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process, to reach a solution to the problem of the Palestinian people in general, and the people of Gaza in particular, which has been going on for 76 years.
Al Shalabi added that thinking about the future in this positive way and with this rational approach is what the people of Gaza and all the brothers in occupied Palestine are waiting for, stressing that Jordan will be able to determine ways to enhance the international community's response to the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.
He added that the conference will certainly aim to determine the mechanisms and practical and effective steps for the response, and the necessary operational and logistical needs in this framework. Jordan will seek to secure commitment to coordinate a unified response to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, he added.
The conference aims to find practical steps to ensure the immediate, appropriate and sustainable delivery of humanitarian and emergency medical aid, to accelerate the process of providing aid and identify ways to enhance the international communitys response to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
The organising countries look forward to effective participation from the invited countries and organisations to ensure the achievement of the objectives of this conference and the provision of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, who are suffering an unprecedented humanitarian disaster as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since last October 7.
The ongoing war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian catastrophe for more than 2.3 million Palestinians in various areas of the Strip, spreading famine, psychological suffering and massive destruction. Access to food, water, housing and medicine for the population has become almost non-existent.
So far, the war has left over 121,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of dozens.
