Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Considers What is Happening in Gaza a Collective Punishment that Has Led to a Tragic Reality
Doha - Media & Communication Dept. - 11 December 2023
His Excellency Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, considered what is happening in Gaza a “collective punishment”, indicating that the ongoing aggression on the Strip has led to a tragic reality.
In a speech he dedicated to talking about the challenges facing humanitarian work, during a session held today, within the activities of the Doha forum entitled “Putting People First: Humanitarian Diplomacy in a Challenging World”, His Excellency reviewed some statistics and figures that reflect the scale of the tragedy in the Strip. He stressed that: “There is a tragic reality in Gaza. Statistics indicate the death of more than 17 thousand people, 70 percent of whom are women and children, and more than 40,000 are injured. More than 1.9 million people are forcibly displaced, in addition to damage to about 90 percent of the infrastructure. Children do not go to school, people do not have access to water, and half of the population suffer from famine”.
In his speech, His Excellency Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke about the unprecedented challenges facing humanitarian work, calling for working together to deal with these challenges that limit the ability to provide relief and assistance to those in need.
"Let's acknowledge that there are challenges that need to be talked about and explained, there is loss of confidence in the effectiveness of humanitarian institutions and multipolar work at a time when international cooperation is very important, and there are doubts surrounding the ability of institutions to bring about positive change," he said. He also referred to other challenges facing humanitarian work, including the high cost associated with models of providing relief and assistance, and donors’ declining enthusiasm for funding humanitarian projects.
His Excellency Dr. Al-Khulaifi also warned of the consequences of these catastrophic challenges on people in need of support, and to the fact that humanitarian actions have become political, referring in this context to the situation in Gaza, "which led to collective punishment, with innocent civilians becoming victims of political agendas."
His Excellency Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for improving the way in which the humanitarian work system acts, such as partnership with the private sector in humanitarian work and in resources and expertise, and promoting innovation and creativity to complement the work of the international community, international organizations and governments. He also stressed the need to ensure that humanitarian work is neutral and free from political influence, and to adopt innovation and rely on technology to help provide relief and assistance starting from advanced logistics to decisions made based on available data.
Concluding his speech, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi highlighted that "these tools can help us to work efficiently and effectively, which enhances our efforts to save the lives of those who are in need," stressing the importance of communicating with vulnerable groups, giving voice to those who are marginalised" rebuilding not only the physical infrastructure, but also people’s dignity, and their hopes and potential for a better tomorrow."