Minister Tajani meets doctors involved in healthcare initiatives for the Gaza Strip

The humanitarian situation in Gaza was the focus of a meeting this morning between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and a delegation of international doctors, coordinated by the civic movement Avaaz, engaged in healthcare projects for the civilian population in the Strip. The delegation included Dr Tanya Ali Haj-Hassan, a Jordanian-American paediatrician specialising in intensive care who has taken part in numerous missions to Gaza, and Mr Graeme Groom, a British surgeon at King's College Hospital in London, who has undertaken several missions to conflict zones to train doctors in trauma surgery and is preparing to return to Gaza.

In thanking the doctors for their testimony and courage, Minister Tajani stressed the outstanding value of their humanitarian commitment and the crucial importance, particularly at this critical juncture, of healthcare assistance in alleviating the ongoing emergency in Gaza. "Italy is at the forefront of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza," stated Minister Tajani, "and we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of so many. Thanks to the Government's commitment, we have welcomed nearly 200 children from Gaza to Italian hospitals and, through scholarship programmes, we are working to strengthen academic corridors, investing in the future of the Palestinian people".

Minister Tajani put the doctors in touch with the Ministry's offices to foster cooperation and provide updates on adapting the "Food for Gaza" programme to the healthcare sector. The programme has facilitated the entry of 2,300 tonnes of food aid and medical supplies into Gaza, through cooperation with the United Nations (WFP and FAO) and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC). In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allocated EUR 10 million to UNICEF and the World Health Organization to support hospitals, vaccines, medicines, and emergency response activities.

In the healthcare sector, Italy has prioritised the reception and treatment of sick Palestinian children. Through 15 medical missions - the most recent taking place just a few days ago - nearly 200 minors have so far been admitted to Italian hospitals, accompanied by their families. This week also marked the launch of "university corridors," through which an initial group of 39 students and researchers has been welcomed to Italian universities as scholarship recipients.