Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00to their land.
00:00:13but in general, in general,
00:00:1875% of the orphans. What is their role in this have no less than
00:00:24their presence in no movements that you are undertaking with
00:00:45the Gaza Strip, questions are renewed about
00:00:48the future of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian
00:00:55its tasks in light of political
00:00:57that enhances UNRWA's role
00:00:58many pressures and the financial crisis it faces.
00:01:00This coincides with the expansion of humanitarian needs and the decline
00:01:04in the ability to respond to them. In this context, the former
00:01:07Commissioner-General of UNRWA,
00:01:11Philippe Lazzarini, warned that
00:01:14what is described as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip does not meet
00:01:17internationally recognized standards. He pointed out during
00:01:20a lecture he delivered to an audience at the Institute of Development Studies
00:01:24in his first public
00:01:26is the most vulnerable appearance since the end of his term that more
00:01:31especially in than 1,400 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed as a result
00:01:33of the occupation's military attacks since the ceasefire
00:01:37agreement was reached, describing
00:01:39if this deterioration what is happening as systematic
00:01:41in the financial destruction of our people's lives and a clear challenge
00:01:43to international law. These statements bring back to the forefront
00:01:48of Development in fundamental questions about the seriousness of the ceasefire and the limits of international
00:01:52impact. For example, the Gaza Strip protection for our people and UNRWA's role in
00:01:55these circumstances,
00:01:58the movements at as well as the implications of the financial crisis and political pressures on the agency's future and refugees'
00:02:02This rights. To talk about you face in
00:02:05your movements and communications in this dealing with this UNRWA's reality and its role in the Gaza Strip and the most prominent challenges it faces
00:02:09we partner with a series and group of and official movements to ensure the continuity of its work
00:02:11and the protection of its UN
00:02:14Palestinians have been killed, mandate, Mr. Kanaan Al-Jamal, Director of UNRWA Affairs in
00:02:17the Department of Refugee Affairs at the Palestine Liberation Organization, joins
00:02:30at the outset, UNRWA's situation today in
00:02:33the Gaza Strip with
00:02:36more support, whether at the large humanitarian catastrophe that is afflicting our people
00:02:39Palestinian refugees there, and also how
00:02:41your moves in this do you assess its ability to the financial level or respond to all these
00:02:50state has been doing
00:02:53since October 7th
00:02:55damaged because a large number until now, with all these measures that disregard all
00:02:59international resolutions that it was a part of by signing the United
00:03:03Nations Charter
00:03:04the most prominent question to mandate UNRWA to protect and operate for Palestinian
00:03:12a point where UNRWA
00:03:16for has exhausted all its efforts towards
00:03:19us in the entry of a those supervising Palestinian Palestinian refugees and is unable to fulfill its obligations towards Palestinian
00:03:23refugees. We all saw how Israel began
00:03:26targeting UNRWA militarily on the ground by destroying
00:03:30schools and health centers and relief centers,
00:03:33and that extended to killing more than 400
00:03:41of them or a group of and so that it can UN staff members who stand firm against this wear the blue UN uniforms that were unable to protect them at any moment.
00:03:46urgently and not All of that was aimed at Palestinian
00:03:49can stand firm on the ground due to this refugees in general and at the Palestinian refugee issue to try to erase it
00:03:58And this, of course, any targeting on so that this file
00:04:00refugees. Education, this has no value after Israel
00:04:05Mr. Mustafa, in this has succeeded in erasing UNRWA and destroying UNRWA
00:04:09whether in Jordan, and its headquarters. And also the political
00:04:14In the coming stage, targeting that the occupation state carried out
00:04:17a position that, I mean, and the pressure exerted by the United States of America by providing
00:04:20everything necessary for the occupation state to politically pressure
00:04:24Regarding the first part of the
00:04:26behind UNRWA and for UNRWA to be in all those who provide grants from donor countries that are part of the UN Charter
00:04:30for UNRWA, sometimes by intimidation and sometimes
00:04:34by temptation. All of that,
00:04:36development projects in unfortunately, has to some extent borne fruit, as UNRWA
00:04:40is suffering from a very
00:04:42and the mother transfers guardianship to her from severe financial crisis. This financial crisis is not fabricated, but rather
00:04:46to act, whether at it is political.
00:04:46projects in And now the financial crisis threatens UNRWA's existence and threatens
00:04:50UNRWA's services,
00:04:53aid for this those health, education,
00:04:55and financial support for it. What are your priorities in this and relief services that constitute
00:04:56it the lifeline for Palestinian refugees throughout UNRWA's operations
00:04:59in the five operational areas, whether in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
00:05:03and Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
00:05:05And the financial crisis that has exceeded approximately
00:05:09100 million dollars for UNRWA, and this very large amount
00:05:14is, I mean, essential services,
00:05:17very important services that constitute
00:05:20the lifeline for Palestinian refugees in all these areas, especially
00:05:24the Gaza Strip. When we mention the Gaza Strip, UNRWA statistics
00:05:27say that approximately 98% of
00:05:30the people of the Gaza Strip who have been displaced and who
00:05:34have, of course, the entire Gaza Strip has been subjected to displacement, war, killing, destruction,
00:05:38and targeting, so approximately 80-90% of the buildings
00:05:42will rely entirely on UNRWA's services.
00:05:47the health sector, 98% of the people
00:05:50of the Gaza Strip are exposed
00:05:54to direct serious health impacts
00:05:58through all
00:06:02health services due to the Israeli targeting. Now,
00:06:05the piles of rubbish, which amount to thousands
00:06:09of tons, also, unfortunately, the piles of rubbish, which amount to thousands of tons, also from garbage
00:06:13and sewage and the spread
00:06:16of rodents and the spread of diseases threaten these
00:06:19people with chronic diseases and
00:06:23infectious diseases that plague the people of the Gaza Strip, infants,
00:06:27and pregnant women. And UNRWA, through
00:06:29its teams, which number more than
00:06:321,000 employees who are striving
00:06:35day and night
00:06:39to provide this service and, I mean, competing with time
00:06:42to try to bridge the gap as much
00:06:45as possible according to the available capabilities in the Gaza Strip,
00:06:48and the occupation has worked to, I mean, cut off the main lifeline for that
00:06:52institution by preventing all aid
00:06:55and logistics from entering the Gaza Strip. And these employees work in very
00:06:59difficult conditions. I mean, for example, if we mention the psychological
00:07:03healing that UNRWA teams provide
00:07:06to students who have just
00:07:10returned to school after three years of being out
00:07:13of school due to the war that was waged against the Palestinian people,
00:07:17this war that aims at displacement and ethnic
00:07:21cleansing. These students who have lost fathers
00:07:25and lost mothers and lost families, who provides this
00:07:28service, and they have also been displaced dozens of times, and they are in need of
00:07:32psychological healing with those, I mean, these
00:07:35I mean, in light of these serious facts that
00:07:39you detailed, Mr. Kanaan Al-Jamal, is there today
00:07:43coordination between you and UNRWA
00:07:45to perhaps mobilize
00:07:50at the political level? What are
00:07:55There is hardly a day that goes by without
00:07:58meetings with UNRWA leaders. The Department
00:08:01of Refugee Affairs, headed by Dr. Ahmed Abu Houli, who is making
00:08:05efforts with UNRWA staff and all relevant parties, whether in the Palestinian
00:08:08Presidency or the Palestinian Diplomatic Mission to the United Nations,
00:08:12they are making very great efforts
00:08:16to mobilize political and financial support for UNRWA, and also
00:08:19I mean, we in the Department of Refugee Affairs, for example, target
00:08:23all ambassadors representing the State of Palestine
00:08:26to urge their countries that voted in favor
00:08:30of extending UNRWA's mandate for three more years to translate this political
00:08:34support into financial support
00:08:36quickly and spontaneously, to have
00:08:40an increase in these allocations.
00:08:47without being financially supported very much
00:08:51Israeli military and political targeting and also be
00:08:55able to fulfill its obligations. UNRWA, for
00:08:57example, manages approximately more than 706
00:09:01schools, six schools in its five
00:09:04operational areas and provides educational services to more than half
00:09:07a million students, male and female, from Palestinian
00:09:13very important sector, which is considered a main lifeline
00:09:17for the Palestinian people, who rely heavily on it, whether in the homeland or in
00:09:21the diaspora, is threatened due to the lack of
00:09:25UNRWA's capabilities. There are schools that lack
00:09:29teachers. There are schools that lack educational
00:09:32materials. There are schools that also lack
00:09:36many capabilities, in addition to the occupation's targeting
00:09:40of all the schools that it manages. For example, in
00:09:43East Jerusalem, the occupation state forcibly closed them
00:09:46and replaced them, and they are now
00:09:49under the administration of the occupation's municipality
00:09:52in Jerusalem, replacing UNRWA's services
00:09:56with other services. Medical and health clinics
00:09:59that provide health services to thousands of citizens
00:10:02and refugees in East Jerusalem and in Shuafat refugee camp, for example. Recently,
00:10:06the occupation forces, led by the extremist Ben Gvir,
00:10:09stormed the vocational training
00:10:13college belonging to UNRWA in Qalandia refugee camp.
00:10:16This college, I mean, since it was
00:10:20established until now, has provided vocational educational services to more than
00:10:2328,000 students.
00:10:38In order to explain more, perhaps, the movements or initiatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization in coordination with UNRWA,
00:10:41if you would allow, I mean, are there any
00:10:44initiatives or specific
00:10:48international donor agencies, with specific countries?
00:10:51Have any results been achieved so far?
00:10:55Yes, I mean, there is almost daily communication
00:10:58firstly at the level of host countries for Palestinian
00:11:01refugees. We mention among them Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
00:11:05These are the countries that shelter Palestinian refugees and host Palestinian
00:11:09refugees. And also there are almost daily meetings with
00:11:12the highest levels with the Commissioner-
00:11:15UNRWA also to, I mean,
00:11:19to urge efforts to collect
00:11:23issues that need to be addressed so that
00:11:27UNRWA can provide its services. In addition to that, also the donor
00:11:31countries, we are in daily contact with donor countries
00:11:34to urge them to commit to providing their services to Palestinian
00:11:37refugees and through UNRWA. Yes, there are countries
00:11:41that have responded to these calls
00:11:44and have responded to all the programs that UNRWA offers because they believe, first
00:11:48of all, that UNRWA is the only
00:11:51institution that cannot be replaced in serving Palestinian
00:11:55refugees, as Israel tried to replace UNRWA
00:11:58with other institutions to abolish UNRWA's right and abolish the refugees'
00:12:02right. These countries have provided millions in a, I mean,
00:12:05urgent way, I mean, outside
00:12:09the usual program for providing grants to UNRWA,
00:12:13and this helps, this helps greatly. We mention among them
00:12:16Germany and we mention among them the Netherlands and we mention among them many countries that,
00:12:20I mean, what about
00:12:23the Arab and Islamic levels? Is
00:12:27this a priority in
00:12:30context? Is there a response from you and an awareness
00:12:33of the scale of the catastrophe facing UNRWA, Mr.
00:12:36Jamal? Certainly, I mean,
00:12:39Islamically and Arabically, everyone feels the seriousness
00:12:42of targeting UNRWA and this escalation in targeting UNRWA,
00:12:45and, I mean, its danger to national security in the region
00:12:48and in the region and even to the world,
00:12:52that, I mean, targeting UNRWA
00:12:58for approximately 6,447,480
00:13:04in the five areas registered according to UNRWA, this is
00:13:07a great danger. This is a great danger that all these
00:13:10services will be cast in the face of
00:13:14the host countries, and, I mean, we do not exclude the Palestinian
00:13:17Authority, which is considered, according to international laws, a host state. The Palestinian Authority
00:13:21is also under great pressure to take over some of UNRWA's
00:13:25services for Palestinian refugees, and this is a political danger
00:13:29and a national danger that cannot be accepted. Therefore, I mean,
00:13:33there is a great response. There is great interaction. I mean,
00:13:36soon there will be meetings in Cairo
00:13:43refugees and donors to Palestinian refugees. In these sessions,
00:13:46the smallest details are discussed on how to overcome this crisis and help
00:13:50UNRWA and stand by UNRWA. Also, urging countries
00:13:54through the League of Arab States, whether it is the Islamic community
00:13:57or the international community, and demanding the United Nations,
00:14:01through Mr. Guterres, to make greater and wider efforts
00:14:04to target donor countries to fulfill their obligations urgently
00:14:08and also to come up with strategies
00:14:11for UNRWA so that UNRWA
00:14:14great targeting by the occupation forces to destroy UNRWA
00:14:18and its facilities, whether in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip.
00:14:23the ground, whether political or financial or military, has
00:14:27an impact on the masses of Palestinian refugees who receive services from UNRWA
00:14:30in all regions spread
00:14:34in Syria, and in Lebanon, and in the Gaza Strip
00:14:37and the West Bank. So, UNRWA and Iran are in
00:14:42is not enviable, frankly, because we, I mean,
00:14:45are very concerned to stand firmly and strongly
00:14:51the forefront, and the Department of Refugee Affairs spares no effort, frankly,
00:14:55to, I mean, contract with all donor
00:14:58entities that can provide
00:15:01the camps, but that it be in a partnership that enhances
00:15:05UNRWA's role. We mention in that regard Japan, which
00:15:07provides many millions and pioneering
00:15:11the camps.
00:15:14Of course, all of that in partnership with the Department of Refugee Affairs
00:15:17and UNRWA,
00:15:21is in the forefront, and also Italian institutions and German
00:15:25institutions and so on provide all these projects. All of these
00:15:27collectively are in enhancing UNRWA's role in the Palestinian
00:15:31camps so that there is no gap
00:15:34that affects the services provided to refugees. If
00:15:37the financial deficit that UNRWA faces
00:15:40continues, and in the same vein and on the same
00:15:44lines, what is the scenario that
00:15:46you fear most at the level of agency services and refugee
00:15:50rights in the long term?
00:15:53I mean, there are two aspects. The service aspect, which is urgently
00:15:57needed by all Palestinian refugees throughout
00:16:01one is unaware of the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon,
00:16:05Syria, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It is
00:16:09the most prominent concern that these services
00:16:12do not stop and that there is no
00:16:15impact of the financial crisis on the volume
00:16:18and type of services provided to Palestinian refugees. Therefore,
00:16:22the door is now open to all partnerships that enhance UNRWA's
00:16:26role, and, I mean, there is flexibility in dealing with these
00:16:29programs so that they are partners with UNRWA in a way
00:16:34from the political side. There are, I mean, great
00:16:38efforts being made
00:16:40جدا
00:16:42to ensure that this fabricated financial and political
00:16:46crisis does not undermine UNRWA's funding, that there
00:16:49is no rapid decline, and that
00:16:52the amounts provided to UNRWA and the budgets
00:16:55provided to UNRWA must be clear and
00:16:59must be smooth, and the United Nations must adopt that
00:17:02so that these funds are not empty at the United
00:17:06Nations and UNRWA, key programs
00:17:10such as health, education, and relief.
00:17:13Frankly, I mean,
00:17:18crisis and in UNRWA's budgets continues,
00:17:21it will certainly have a very negative
00:17:24and, I mean, rapid impact, unfortunately, a rapid
00:17:30cannot bear any loss of
00:17:33any kind of services provided to Palestinian
00:17:37refugees. I mean, the Gaza Strip is now facing a hidden famine and daily
00:17:41targeting, as Mr. Lazzarini mentioned, the war
00:17:45that has not stopped for a moment, even with the ceasefire agreement. Approximately
00:17:481,400
00:17:52including children and women, and the targeting of homes and clinics and so on
00:17:55is still ongoing, and this is, I mean, disrupting
00:17:59UNRWA's services and targeting UNRWA's services. Also,
00:18:02the northern West Bank, Palestinian refugees who were expelled from
00:18:05their camps, approximately 33
00:18:11are being fought with all might by the Israeli army so that they are not able to
00:18:15provide any services to these refugees. And today, incidentally,
00:18:19the occupation's Court of Justice, I mean,
00:18:23decided that there must be a specific
00:18:26date set for ending the military
00:18:29operation in these camps
00:18:32and allowing refugees to return to
00:18:34their camps. All of that in the face
00:18:38of the steadfastness of Palestinian refugees, because one of the conditions
00:18:42that the occupation presented for returning and ending the military operation was that
00:18:45there should be no role for refugees
00:18:48for UNRWA in providing services to Palestinian refugees. Therefore,
00:18:52the effort is a joint effort, an international effort, a local
00:18:55effort, a popular effort, and all those who, I mean,
00:18:58the meetings of the Advisory Committee and the donor countries for Palestinian refugees, which
00:19:02will take place after a short period, these discuss
00:19:06the budgets and how they are provided and how and in what
00:19:09ways they are spent. Therefore, these are directed
00:19:12to refugees, I apologize, to the donors
00:19:15in these meetings, that these discussions should focus
00:19:19on how to spend these budgets
00:19:23delay, because the Gaza Strip has, I mean, we
00:19:27are on the verge of winter, and there are warnings that it will be a harsh winter. Therefore,
00:19:31the situation in the Gaza Strip, whether health or education or
00:19:34relief or even daily living, is very harsh. It
00:19:38is only possible that UNRWA has supplies and that
00:19:41the doors are opened for UNRWA through the budgets provided to it so that
00:19:44it can relieve these afflicted people in the Gaza Strip
00:19:48who are being fought daily by Israeli
00:19:50tanks and Israeli aircraft that
00:19:53bomb plastic tents. All
00:19:56of that also in the West Bank, the continuous threat from
00:20:00the Israeli army to invade new camps and displace
00:20:03their people. What is happening in Qalandia camp and what is happening in Shuafat
00:20:07camp
00:20:14Mr. Jamal, if you could please shed more light on your priorities in the Department
00:20:17of Refugee Affairs at the Palestine Liberation
00:20:21Organization
00:20:23the official levels or otherwise,
00:20:27to try to support UNRWA and mobilize political
00:20:33regard? The first
00:20:35priority is to translate the great
00:20:38political support for UNRWA
00:20:41into urgent financial support. This is a top
00:20:44priority, because if the countries that politically
00:20:48supported UNRWA are able to fulfill their obligations
00:20:52urgently and without harsh conditions, unfortunately, some donor countries
00:20:55provide aid, but it is conditional
00:20:58on harsh terms, meaning it forces
00:21:02UNRWA to take paths that harm
00:21:06Palestinian refugees, harm the Palestinian cause, and harm
00:21:09UNRWA's existence. Therefore, the efforts are now focused
00:21:13on ensuring that these funds are actually provided purely
00:21:16to UNRWA without any conditions, because these
00:21:20conditions, I mean, delay and cause delays in
00:21:23providing these services and securing what can be secured
00:21:27of the rights of Palestinian refugees, whether relief, education, or
00:21:31health, because the Gaza Strip is in urgent need, as we mentioned
00:21:34earlier, in urgent need before
00:21:36winter arrives. Also, the United Nations
00:21:40is now required, and the Palestinian diplomatic
00:21:43mission submits proposals, and of course, they are
00:21:47discussed with all partners and with all
00:21:49friends and brothers in Arab and Islamic countries
00:21:53and friends from countries in the world so that this
00:21:56mission can mobilize support
00:22:00for UNRWA in stopping Israeli
00:22:03aggressions and considering the state of Israel
00:22:07an aggressor state and a violator of international law
00:22:10with regard to UNRWA and other international
00:22:13institutions that operate within the framework of the United Nations,
00:22:17and also that these countries use their power,
00:22:21whether in the Security Council and the House of Commons
00:22:24and the United Nations Council, to make
00:22:27Israel retract all that it has done through
00:22:30occupying UNRWA centers such as the Qalandia
00:22:34center and the Sheikh Jarrah headquarters and the schools in Shuafat camp
00:22:38and disrupting all these services and returning
00:22:41UNRWA to provide these services with financial support. Thank
00:22:45you very much, Mr. Kanaan Al-Jamal, Director of UNRWA Affairs in the Department of Refugee Affairs
00:22:49at the Palestine Liberation Organization, our guest from Nablus. Thank
00:22:53you very much. In the Gaza Strip, the repercussions of the war
00:22:56do not stop at the number of martyrs and wounded, nor
00:23:00at the number of homes destroyed and families displaced,
00:23:03but extend to thousands of children who found
00:23:07themselves in a harsh reality after losing
00:23:10one or both of their parents and losing with them their source
00:23:14of safety and stability. Official sources reveal that
00:23:18more than 5,000
00:23:21orphans were registered until last June,
00:23:24while more than 2,000 children have joined
00:23:27the orphan registries since the ceasefire was announced.
00:23:33of the humanitarian and social catastrophe
00:23:36experienced by the Gaza Strip, where the needs
00:23:39of children are escalating amid continuous displacement, loss
00:23:42of shelter, and declining basic services, in addition
00:23:46to the psychological and social challenges
00:23:49that the war leaves in their souls. However,
00:23:54is not only about the scale of the tragedy,
00:23:57but about the ability of the concerned institutions to provide
00:24:00protection and care for these children, and to ensure
00:24:04their rights to education, health, and a decent life
00:24:07away from temporary relief solutions.
00:24:11And about the reality of orphans in the Gaza Strip, their needs,
00:24:15and mechanisms for their care, and the challenges facing
00:24:18the responsible institutions for their protection, we speak
00:24:22in this episode with the head of the Orphans File in the Gaza
00:24:25Strip, Professor
00:24:3665,000 orphans in the Gaza
00:24:39Strip since October 7, 2023,
00:24:412023
00:24:44what do these numbers reflect about the scale of the humanitarian
00:24:47and social catastrophe in the southern governorates? How
00:24:50are these massive
00:25:27October, the number of orphans in the southern
00:25:30governorates reached 67,000
00:25:33orphans distributed among five
00:25:35governorates.
00:25:38A very large percentage of them
00:25:42suffer from very difficult living
00:25:45conditions that they live in
00:25:48the Gaza Strip as a result
00:25:50of the continuous Israeli aggression. Of course,
00:25:53some of the
00:25:55orphans have disabilities, and their number reached
00:25:581,180 orphans. They have about five.
00:26:02Orphans suffering from malnutrition. We have
00:26:06patients such as thalassemia patients, about 18 orphans,
00:26:10and cancer patients, 30 other orphans. And we have
00:26:14the percentage that we are interested in at this time,
00:26:17the percentage of missing persons. I mean,
00:26:20about 9,000
00:26:24people, 9,500 people
00:26:27are missing, who are not registered as orphans, but
00:26:30their children are treated as
00:26:38of Social Development consider ourselves the main
00:26:41umbrella
00:26:45the main umbrella that brings together all the work
00:26:48of humanitarian organizations to manage the orphan
00:26:51relief system in the southern governorates.
00:26:54Of course, we have direct instructions from
00:26:58His Excellency the Prime Minister, Dr. Muhammad Mustafa,
00:27:02as well as from Her Excellency Dr. Samah Hamad, the Minister of Social
00:27:05Development, to pay attention to this file
00:27:09in particular and to consider it a
00:27:11priority due to the scale of the disaster that
00:27:14we are unfortunately facing.
00:27:18Today we are talking about approximately 3.5%
00:27:213.5%
00:27:24of the population of the Gaza Strip being orphans. This group
00:27:28in society. The number is huge and the scale is enormous.
00:27:32It requires a very large intervention and
00:27:35is not limited to, okay. You mentioned,
00:27:38Mr. Miqdad, that in the Ministry of Social Development,
00:27:40you form the umbrella for coordinating all efforts
00:27:44and services provided to these orphans.
00:27:48What is your role? Where do you stand? Your role in the Ministry of Social
00:27:51Development? What services do you provide in light of the
00:27:55major financial crisis facing the government,
00:27:57and who are the active agencies
00:28:00and institutions on the ground that provide support
00:28:04and care for these
00:28:05orphans?
00:28:08As the Ministry of Social Development,
00:28:12local and international partners
00:28:15to regulate the entry of aid
00:28:17for distribution to community members in
00:28:21general, and orphans in particular, because the role of
00:28:24the Ministry of Development at this stage is relief
00:28:28and entering the stage of recovery and providing
00:28:30assistance. It has become more fragile and more
00:28:34in need. Our role at this
00:28:38stage is to provide food parcels and hygiene
00:28:42parcels, and to provide clothes and coverings, and to provide
00:28:45shopping vouchers, and to provide
00:28:48even sponsorships for orphans. We are talking
00:28:51about approximately 82% of
00:28:55orphan families have generally benefited,
00:28:59but the need is greater than the amount
00:29:02of aid available and what can be provided at this stage
00:29:06to our people. We are talking about
00:29:10about
00:29:1415 to 17 thousand orphans who have been fully
00:29:18sponsored. We provide
00:29:21our services to all categories of orphans
00:29:24scattered throughout the Gaza Strip, whether
00:29:27accompanied and included in their family care or
00:29:31unaccompanied.
00:29:35We provide them in addition to, as I mentioned
00:29:39earlier, food parcels. We monitor a large number
00:29:44unaccompanied orphans.
00:29:47We monitor their educational system and their integration into
00:29:51educational institutions, and we monitor their health conditions
00:29:55through institutions scattered throughout the Gaza Strip and partner
00:29:58associations, as I said at the beginning, whether
00:30:02they are international or local.
00:30:08context and given the data you mentioned, is there
00:30:11an updated and comprehensive database
00:30:14of orphans in the Gaza Strip
00:30:17that allows for the identification of their locations, social
00:30:20and economic conditions, and actual
00:30:22needs?
00:30:26question, yes, we have a database in which we
00:30:30have enumerated all the orphans present in the southern
00:30:33governorates with their detailed data
00:30:36and their evidentiary documents, because no orphan is
00:30:40approved unless this is supported by a series of
00:30:43official documents. This is primarily the case, but the
00:30:46nature, the nature of the war or
00:30:50the slaughter, as we call it, the slaughter we lived through in the Gaza
00:30:52Strip made it difficult for us to
00:30:56continuously determine the locations
00:30:58of orphans. For example, some orphans may be
00:31:04in Rafah governorate, for example. Today, Rafah governorate is no
00:31:08longer on the map and is not inhabited.
00:31:10It is difficult to determine their displacement area, and this
00:31:14applies to the residents of the northern governorate.
00:31:17Most of the northern governorate is not inhabited. The residents who
00:31:21lost their fathers and were included in the list of orphans moved
00:31:24to other residential areas,
00:31:28we
00:31:33data is accurate, whether it is related
00:31:37to the orphan or the orphan's family, or even their
00:31:41residential locations. So, regarding orphans who have lost
00:31:44both parents, how are they dealt
00:31:48with, and do they perhaps constitute
00:31:50a priority in responding to humanitarian
00:31:53needs and urgent
00:31:55needs? Certainly, orphans who
00:31:59have lost both their father and mother receive
00:32:02special attention and care, but as a Ministry of Development,
00:32:06and from our national responsibility entrusted to
00:32:10us, we try to shelter these
00:32:13orphans within the extended family, and this
00:32:17helps us because the nature of our Palestinian society
00:32:20prefers caring for orphans due to its religious
00:32:24or national motive.
00:32:27However, the remaining and very small
00:32:30group that does not have an extended family, we,
00:32:34as the Ministry of Development, consider ourselves responsible for them
00:32:37and provide them with special care homes for permanent
00:32:41residence. They are there and are monitored
00:32:46around the clock for all these cases, and even
00:32:50their expenses are provided as orphan sponsorships
00:32:52through a group of institutions affiliated
00:32:56with the Ministry of Development that are managed by our
00:32:59partners, affiliated with the Ministry
00:33:03the southern governorates. Mr. Mustafa, in light of these major
00:33:07and immense challenges that face your work in the
00:33:10Gaza Strip, specifically with regard to the orphan file,
00:33:14what are the most prominent challenges
00:33:18file?
00:33:20Among the most prominent challenges we face
00:33:24is the shortage of staff. We have a large number
00:33:27of our employees who have been martyred or
00:33:30have left the country under duress or have been
00:33:33retired. The halt in appointments
00:33:36and recruitments has affected our work
00:33:39partially, not completely. This
00:33:43The second challenge is the Israeli occupation, which
00:33:47plays a major role in trying to prevent the entry
00:33:51of aid or limiting the type
00:33:55of aid that enters the Gaza Strip. The third
00:33:58challenge is the process of transferring funds
00:34:00for sponsorships.
00:34:02Facing a huge and enormous burden and great difficulty, the issue of transferring
00:34:06funds is subject to control, repercussions,
00:34:10and sometimes frequent rejection regarding orphan
00:34:13sponsorships.
00:34:15This sometimes makes it so that we
00:34:19collect them every three months, the sponsorship is paid once, and this
00:34:23delay leads to a deficit within the
00:34:26family, which relies on the sponsorships
00:34:30that reach the orphan as one of its means of subsistence.
00:34:33Also among our challenges is
00:34:36the fragmentation of the Gaza Strip and its area, which
00:34:40are among the challenges we face.
00:34:43Unfortunately, the movement of many people as a result
00:34:46of the continuous incursions and repeated displacement of citizens
00:34:50and their movement from place to place,
00:34:53because, for example, if we assume today that a family
00:34:57registered with us is in Gaza City or
00:35:01we provided them with food aid for them to receive
00:35:05South, and we discovered that
00:35:08South,
00:35:11the South, this will affect
00:35:16the way they receive it because
00:35:19transporting aid from Gaza to the South is very
00:35:23difficult and may be higher than the cost of the food parcel itself
00:35:26that they are supposed to receive. That is, the repeated displacement and
00:35:30the instability of citizens in a specific residential area
00:35:34are among the biggest challenges we face. The last challenge
00:35:38we face is the issue of constantly changing
00:35:41legal guardianship for orphans. We have
00:35:44problems. The family
00:35:47within the extended family transfers
00:35:51guardianship to the mother, and the mother, or, I'm sorry,
00:35:54transfers guardianship from the mother,
00:35:57the grandfather. And here, sometimes, we face a problem of
00:36:01duplication in our work. We do not know who is supposed
00:36:04to receive
00:36:08orphan. In the beginning and the end,
00:36:11we rely on official documents issued by the courts,
00:36:15but sometimes we face
00:36:17problems in connecting with these
00:36:21courts due to the continuous interruption of the Internet
00:36:25and the continuous interruption of electricity.
00:36:28Data transfer is sometimes delayed, so these are among the biggest difficulties
00:36:31we face in the Gaza Strip. So,
00:36:35let's move to another point regarding the extent of the
00:36:38contribution or the contribution of international
00:36:40organizations and other associations in caring for
00:36:46regard?
00:36:49All orphan care institutions
00:36:52that are licensed and have legalized their status
00:36:56implement all their programs, whether
00:36:59food parcels, sponsorship programs, psychological support
00:37:03programs, or even shopping vouchers.
00:37:06They implement them for us, implemented through
00:37:09the Ministry of Social Development
00:37:11and in full coordination with the Ministry of Social Development, because, to be
00:37:15clear, the Israelis refuse the direct
00:37:18entry of aid to the Ministry of Social
00:37:21Development, um, or as the Palestinian National Authority.
00:37:25So, we regulate this process between associations
00:37:29to prevent any duplication and to ensure
00:37:32this process runs smoothly, because
00:37:36the Ministry of Development has the database, the Ministry
00:37:39of Development has access to all members
00:37:42of society, and the Ministry of Development regulates the data distribution
00:37:45process. So, to regulate this process,
00:37:49the connection and control must be
00:37:53unified, and for the sake of unifying efforts,
00:37:55it should
00:37:57be under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Development as the official
00:38:01sponsor of the relief process within the Gaza Strip
00:38:04in general. Um, these associations
00:38:08play a pioneering role and a very
00:38:11well-known role. They provide
00:38:14continuous assistance under the supervision of the Ministry
00:38:17of Social Development. The main obstacle we
00:38:21face regarding associations is unlicensed
00:38:24associations that operate outside a legal
00:38:27framework.
00:38:30framework
00:38:33creates a flaw in the relief system in the Gaza
00:38:36Strip. Aha. So, do you have any
00:38:39estimates, Mr. Mustafa, for the financial
00:38:42and logistical needs for the care of orphans during
00:38:45the coming months, and what are
00:38:49the priorities and most prominent priorities that cannot
00:38:52be postponed?
00:38:56in the coming stage, during the coming days, we will enter
00:38:59a cold wave
00:39:02and a severe cold snap. Most of the tents
00:39:05are unfortunately damaged, because we are talking about
00:39:0870% or 75% of the residents of the Gaza Strip who live in
00:39:14not supposed to last more than a
00:39:17full year.
00:39:20Today, the tents have become
00:39:23of families need to replace their tents. Unfortunately, we
00:39:27confirm to you that we
00:39:29do not have in the Ministry of Development, and in the warehouses of the Ministry of Development,
00:39:33and our partners in the Ministry of Development, any tents in the coming stage
00:39:36or currently available to us.
00:39:39We are waiting or hoping that the coming
00:39:41days will help us or assist
00:39:47group of tents that will alleviate
00:39:50the burden of the coming winter on the citizens. This is primarily
00:39:54the case. Secondly, we need a set of
00:39:57assistive devices for orphans
00:40:01or
00:40:04orphans affiliated with the Ministry of Social Development and registered in the
00:40:07Ministry of Social Development's records, such as
00:40:11prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, and simple
00:40:14medical devices. We have a great shortage of them, and we
00:40:18need special shelters for people with special needs. I
00:40:22mentioned in the statistics that we have 1180
00:40:25disabled orphans.
00:40:27Or we have people with chronic diseases, also a considerable
00:40:31number. We need special camps
00:40:35for people with special needs. These have special rules
00:40:39and regulations.
00:40:42unfortunately, we need clothes
00:40:45for orphans, especially with the approach of
00:40:48winter. We are trying through partners,
00:40:51after communicating with a group, but unfortunately, the Israeli decision
00:40:54was issued a few days ago to stop
00:40:58coordinating the entry of clothes into