Jordan calls on international community to end ‘bloodshed’ in Gaza

AMMAN — Jordan has called on the international community to support an immediate end to the bloodshed in Gaza and to fight for the entry of humanitarian teams and the delivery of food and medical supplies.

This appeal was made by Minister of Health, Firas Hawari, during his speech on Tuesday at the second-day meetings of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

In his remarks, he reiterated Jordan’s commitment to achieving the slogan of the 77th World Health Assembly, “Health for All and All for Health”, by building a resilient health system that leaves no one behind.

According to a statement from the Jordanian Ministry of Health on Wednesday, Hawari said in his speech, “While we gather to discuss the right to health for all, we are witnessing in Gaza what history will record as one of the most devastating man-made humanitarian disasters of this century: the genocide of children, women, and the elderly, the displacement of families, the bombing of hospitals and ambulances, and the collapse of an entire health system.”

Hawari highlighted that Jordan is one of the countries significantly affected by global crises with Jordan bearing the largest share of refugees. 

“Yet, we are proud of our commitment to humanitarian duty, hosting refugees inclusively, without exception, despite the strain this commitment has placed on our resources, especially in the health sector.”

He emphasised the importance of collective efforts to ensure the international community meets its humanitarian obligations to guarantee the right to health for all, stressing the need of continuous support and funding for agencies like UNRWA that aid refugees.

The minister pointed to the catastrophic impact of funding cuts on the lives of Palestinian refugees and the host countries like Jordan.