Türkiye to continue its assistance to Palestinian health sector

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Türkiye will continue its assistance to the Palestinian health sector, the country's first undersecretary of permanent representative to the UN Geneva Office said on Wednesday.

Ankara will do this "through direct investment, the hospitals in Gaza and Tubas, medical assistance, and offering training," Serdar Ozkan said during his address at the draft bill discussions on the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan.

The discussions took place as part of the 76th edition of the World Health Assembly.

Noting that Türkiye granted $16 million to the state budget of Palestine in the last five years, Ozkan stressed that Ankara also continues to provide political, financial, and in-kind support to UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

"We extend $10 million of contribution each year," he said.

He added that Türkiye also has assistance programs for Palestine through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), and Red Crescent.

The completed projects by TIKA during the last three years are worth $10.5 million, he noted.

Underlining that his country will continue to provide assistance to Palestine and UNRWA, Ozkan reiterated Türkiye's call to the international community to channel further assistance to the agency.

"The international community also needs to increase its assistance to the State of Palestine to support Palestinian people’s economic and social conditions, including a sustainable health system," he urged.

He said the occupation in Palestine is not only preventing Palestine from using its own national resources and thus building a sustainable financial environment, including for its health services, but it also hinders access to healthcare services in many other ways.

"We would like to kindly ask Secretariat to add Türkiye to the list of sponsor countries of the draft decision," he concluded.