Minister Shahin Meets with President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Minister Shahin Meets with President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin met with the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Kate Forbes, and reaffirmed the State of Palestine's firm commitment to strengthening cooperation and joint coordination in the humanitarian field with all organizations, amid the escalating catastrophe facing the Palestinian people.

The Minister expressed her appreciation for the IFRC as the world's largest humanitarian network, comprising 191 national societies, and emphasized its moral and humanitarian role during times of conflict and disasters.

Shahin stressed the importance of protecting and supporting the work of the Palestine Red Crescent Society across all Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. She praised the solidarity and operational support provided to the Society. The Minister also underscored the urgent need to ensure protection for ambulance crews and humanitarian personnel in light of repeated targeting and killings of paramedics and Red Crescent staff. She noted that targeting humanitarian and medical workers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and undermines the core principles of humanitarian action.

The Minister further called on the IFRC to intensify its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to ensure the entry of Red Crescent teams into the Gaza Strip, secure effective humanitarian corridors, and enhance financial and technical support for the health sector and relief services. She stressed the importance of joint efforts to mobilize international support and protect civilians and humanitarian workers in a manner that upholds the principles of humanity, neutrality, and independence, and strengthens the resilience of the Palestinian people.