Doha - Ma'an - The State of Palestine called for urgent international support for the health system and to prevent its collapse, as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. This came in a speech by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Qatar, Fayez Abu Al-Rub, today, Tuesday, which he delivered on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, at the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, which was held in the Qatari capital, Doha, under the title "Health without Borders: Solidarity for Access to Health Care." Ambassador Abu Al-Rub conveyed the greetings of Minister Abu Ramadan, and his apology for not participating due to the catastrophic situation witnessed in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression for more than a year, and coinciding with the launch of the second phase of a large-scale vaccination campaign against polio targeting more than 600,000 children in the Strip. He explained that the State of Palestine faces serious challenges in providing fair health care, in light of the difficult circumstances resulting from the ongoing Israeli aggression for more than a year. He pointed out that the aggression affected all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, resulting in about 42 thousand martyrs and 100 thousand wounded, while 85% of the Strip's population was displaced, suffering from a severe shortage of the most basic necessities of life such as water, food, and medicine. Ambassador Abu Al-Rub pointed out that more than 85% of hospitals and health facilities were destroyed, with 20 out of 36 hospitals out of service, while the remaining hospitals are operating at very limited capacity. He also addressed the catastrophic situation in the field of public health as a result of water pollution and the destruction of sewage networks, which led to the spread of infectious diseases and malnutrition among children. He expressed his concern over the discovery of confirmed cases of polio in Gaza for the first time in 25 ye ars, as a result of children being deprived of basic vaccinations due to the war of extermination and displacement. Ambassador Abu al-Rub called for concerted international efforts to support the Palestinian health system and prevent its complete collapse, stressing the need for an immediate cessation of the war and Israeli aggression, providing financial and technical support to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid in an unconditional and sustainable manner, calling for improving the health infrastructure and facilitating the exit of patients to receive treatment outside the Gaza Strip, whether in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, or other countries. Ambassador Abu Al-Rub thanked the World Health Organization, Arab countries and international supporters for their support for the Palestinian people, especially the Director of the World Health Organization Office in Palestine, Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, expressing his hope that this support would continue in light of the tragic humanitarian and health conditions that the Gaza Strip is suffering from. Source: Maan News Agency