Deputising for King, Prince Rashid attends Paris conference on Gaza

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Rashid Bin El Hassan, adviser to His Majesty and chairman of the board of trustees of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), participated in the humanitarian conference on Gaza held in Paris on Thursday.

Speaking at the conference, hosted by France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron to discuss means to deliver aid to Gaza, Prince Rashid said over 1.5 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes and are in desperate need for shelter, food, water and security.

His Royal Highness highlighted measures taken by Jordan, upon Royal directives, to deliver humanitarian aid by air and land to Gaza’s population, noting that all efforts are facing many obstacles, which makes the relief and medical aid currently being delivered to the Palestinians insufficient, according to a Royal Court statement.

Prince Rashid noted the aid plane that headed from Jordan to El Arish on Thursday morning, carrying 45 tonnes of additional aid and prepared by UNRWA in coordination with the JHCO.

The prince said that previously, Gaza used to receive 500 aid trucks a day, which barely covered a fifth of its needs. Going back to 500 trucks a day is no longer an option, Prince Rashid continued, calling for increasing that number significantly.

Prince Rashid stressed the important role of the international community in ensuring the uninterrupted and continued delivery of humanitarian aid, fuel, food, and medicines to Gaza, as well as working to prevent the deterioration of the situation in the West Bank.

His Royal Highness urged international and humanitarian agencies to work closely with UNRWA to identify requirements in Gaza in order to meet the needs on the ground and ensure the delivery of assistance in coordination with the international community.

Prince Rashid concluded by calling for ending the suffering of the Palestinian people, stressing their right to a life of peace and dignity. The only way to achieve that, His Royal Highness said, is through a meaningful and just political process on the basis of the two-state solution and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

President Macron inaugurated the conference, which featured the participation of a number of heads of state and delegation, as well as representatives of UN agencies and international humanitarian organisations.

The conferences is aimed at discussing ways to coordinate aid to the Gaza Strip.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, President Macron urged participating countries to increase their support for Palestinian civilians through UN agencies.

He stressed the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza and respecting international law, noting that there should be no double standard in protecting lives.

Representatives of UN agencies warned of the disaster currently unfolding in Gaza, stressing the importance of imposing a ceasefire and adhering by the Geneva Accords and international humanitarian law.

They called for coordinating the collection and dispatching of aid, so it would be possible to transport to the strip.