ICRC President visits The Palestine Red Crescent offices in Gaza and Ramallah and meets with Head of the PRCS Dr. Younes al-Khatib

Ramallah – Gaza – A delegation including Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, visited the headquarters of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Ramallah on July 3, 2013 to discuss potential cooperation between the organizations. They met with the Head of the Red Crescent Dr. Younis al-Khatib and Director General Dr. Khaled Joudeh.

Discussions took place on humanitarian needs in the region, in particular Syria and Lebanon, and the humanitarian services offered there, especially for Palestinian refugees in Syria and those who have fled to Lebanon as a result of the unrest in the region.

They emphasized the need to work more closely and to enhance cooperation in humanitarian assistance offered to needy people in the region amid escalating instability; they also emphasized the need for all parties to cooperate with humanitarian bodies.

Dr. al-Khatib briefed the delegation on the humanitarian and relief services offered by the Palestinian Red Crescent to Palestinian refugees in Syria and Lebanon and the main challenges and risks in those areas.

Dr. al-Khatib accompanied Mr. Maurer and the delegation on a tour of the facilities of the PRCS’ headquarters, showing them the services available and the main warehouses, which are prepared for any emergency situations.

On the previous day, Dr. al-Khatib received Mr. Maurer at the PRCS’ headquarters in the Gaza Strip for discussions on joint humanitarian work, the PRCS working in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Maurer was taken on a tour inside PRCS’ al-Quds Hospital.

Mr. Maurer and the delegation met with humanitarian and community organizations in the Gaza Strip. Dr. al-Khatib expressed appreciation of the ICRC’s efforts in building cooperation with the PRCS to meet the needs of the population and provide the highest possible standards of health and humanitarian services, particularly in relation to Palestinian prisoners and assistance to local groups in the community.

Mr. Maurer praised the vital role played by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in humanitarian and relief services and its health and community work. He called for the principles of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions to be respected. He also spoke of the need to improve the conditions of prisoners in Israeli prisons, stressing that the work of the ICRC aims to alleviate the suffering of all Palestinians, whether those who are ill, people living on borders or in marginalized areas, farmers and fishermen who require assistance, or protection for civilians to remove them from areas of conflict.