King holds international emergency meeting in Amman to coordinate Gaza humanitarian response

• King Abdullah says humanitarian aid currently delivered to Gaza does not cover relief needs on the ground
• His Majesty urges participants to work collectively to deliver aid within sustainable methods that build on current efforts

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday held an international meeting in Amman on “Coordinating Gaza Emergency Relief”, with the participation of representatives of international organisations and UN agencies, as well as Arab and foreign countries.

At the meeting, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania and HRH Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah said humanitarian aid currently delivered to Gaza does not cover relief needs on the ground, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty called for maintaining coordination between all international stakeholders to bridge gaps, avoid the duplication of efforts, and identify the challenges in the Strip, urging participants to work collectively to deliver aid within sustainable methods that build on current efforts.

For their part, participants commended Jordan’s efforts, under the King’s leadership, in bringing together all the concerned stakeholders to coordinate the humanitarian response in Gaza.

At the meeting, held as part of the “Aqaba Process” initiative, they highlighted the need for the international community to push for ensuring the suitable conditions that guarantee a quick and uninterrupted delivery of aid to Gaza.

Participants discussed the current humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the need to respect international law and provide basic necessities, including food, water, medicine, shelter and energy, highlighting the current efforts of their agencies and countries, as well as the challenges they face in aid delivery, and means of overcoming them.

In addition, attendees identified aid priorities and urgent needs on the ground in Gaza, including the needed logistics for aid delivery and distribution, as well as allocating resources quickly and efficiently.

The meeting saw the participation of high-level representatives of over 30 international humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, UNRWA, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, UN Women, the United Nations Office for Project Services and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in addition to representatives of over 30 Arab and foreign countries.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, and Prince Rashid Bin El Hassan, adviser to His Majesty and chairperson of the board of trustees of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, and a number of senior Jordanian officials attended the meeting.