Mustafa: Our children are not alone and the government continues its efforts to provide everything it can for the families in the sector

SadaNews - The Prime Minister, Mohamed Mustafa, affirmed the government's commitment to prioritizing the needs of children in the Gaza Strip, listening to their opinions, and involving them in response, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in the sector.

This came during a dialogue meeting held by the Prime Minister today, Monday, in his office in Ramallah, with the "Gaza We Want" initiative, supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), via video conferencing between Ramallah and the Gaza Strip, with the participation of 25 boys and girls representing various areas of the sector, in the presence of Minister of Social Development, Samah Hamad, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Amjad Barham, and UNICEF's Special Representative in Palestine, Jonathan Veitch.

Mustafa welcomed the participating children and conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas and the government, expressing his pride in the patience and resilience of Gaza's children despite the difficult circumstances, stressing that they are not alone, and that the government continues its efforts to provide everything it can for the families in the sector, commending the support of UNICEF and the international partner organizations standing with the families in Gaza.

The Prime Minister listened to the children's contributions, which reflected the results of their consultations with their peers in the sector, where they expressed their dreams and hopes, as well as the main challenges and needs related to education, health, shelter, protection, and basic needs, confirming the importance of providing a safe environment for children, continuing education, enhancing healthcare and psychological support services, and accelerating recovery efforts to improve living conditions.

Mustafa asserted that education, health, safe housing, and psychological support are fundamental rights for children, pointing out the Ministry of Education's efforts to gradually resume the educational system and expand online education, considering education as a "lifeline," alongside working with international partners to provide treatment and medicines, enhance health and mental health services, and the Ministry of Public Works’ efforts to provide shelter and temporary housing.

The Prime Minister pointed to the efforts led by the Ministry of Social Development in implementing relief and social protection programs and providing assistance to the most needy families, which contributes to enhancing the resilience of citizens and mitigating the effects of difficult humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, along with interventions from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in cooperation with international partners to provide housing solutions and temporary shelters and improve living conditions for families.

The Prime Minister called on the international community to pressure Israel to open the crossings and allow the entry of essential materials and shelter supplies, and to stop the measures that hinder the work of UNRWA.

For his part, UNICEF's Special Representative in Palestine, Jonathan Veitch, affirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring that children actively participate in shaping the future of Gaza, pointing out that the "Gaza We Want" initiative has allowed thousands of children to directly express their priorities, hopes, and vision for the future of Gaza through drawings, stories, poems, and other creative activities.

Veitch explained that the children's opinions and aspirations for safe housing, education, healthcare, protection, and living with dignity and peace will contribute to shaping the recovery plan that the United Nations, including UNICEF, is working on in coordination with the Palestinian government.