RAMALLAH, October 12, 2025 (WAFA) – During a meeting at his Ramallah office, Minister of Health Majed Abu Ramadan discussed with Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), ways to support the health sector in the occupied Palestinian Territory.

The meeting was attended by UNFPA Representative to Palestine, Nestor Owomuhangi, his deputy, Ziad Yaish, and Head of the International Cooperation Unit at the Ministry of Health, Maria Al-Aqra.

Minister Abu Ramadan briefed the delegation on the dire health situation resulting from the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which has led to extensive damage to health facilities, a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, and daily hardship for medical staff and patients—particularly children, pregnant women, mothers, and girls who face difficulties accessing healthcare centers.

Abu Ramadan emphasized that women and children constitute a large share of those killed, injured, and disabled due to the aggression, underscoring the urgent need to provide reproductive, psychological, and social health services and to support awareness, protection, and empowerment programs for women and youth in safe, healthy environments.

He also outlined the health sector’s major needs and priority areas for short and long-term intervention, including strengthening hospital capacity, securing medical supply chains, expanding psychological and social support programs, and rehabilitating damaged health centers.

For his part, Saberton reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to urgently addressing needs in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, emphasizing continued close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and humanitarian partners to ensure the delivery of services to the most vulnerable groups.

T.R.