The coronavirus pandemic poses a great risk to the West Bank as it could trigger a humanitarian crisis, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon warned on Thursday.
Kahlon met on the issue with President Reuven Rivlin and UN special envoy to the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov. According to the Jerusalem Post, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun and Chief of the UNESCO official Jonathan Lincoln also attended the meeting.
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World Health Organization data recorded 278 coronavirus cases in the West Bank, with two deaths. In the Gaza Strip WHO recorded 13 cases. The agency fears that the dire But officials fear an outbreak and want to ensure that the Palestinians are equipped to handle that economic and infrastructural situation has left iy unable to deal with an outbreak.
Coronavirus "does not differentiate between peoples and geographical areas. The breakdown of health in the Palestinian Authority would impact Israel severely and it is in our interest to assist the PA in this complex situation," Kahlon was quoted as saying.
During the meeting in Jerusalem, Mladenov briefed Israeli officials on the UN plan to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the PA and spoke of the steps needed to implement it.
Thank you @PresidentRuvi for your engagement with the #UN as we tackle the pandemic. Now is the time for all to reach across divides and help fight the common enemy. #Israelis & #Palestinians can and must work together to tackle the health, social & economic effects of #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/kcpx1OF9Qw
— Nickolay E. MLADENOV (@nmladenov) April 16, 2020
According to the report, Rivlin stressed that "cooperation is not a possible option, it is our fundamental obligation in order to ensure the safety of all our peoples. This disease shows again and again that it does not recognize borders and that only through dialogue and sharing resources can we fight it."
Abu Rukun noted that Israel, through COGAT, "will continue to assist in the battle to curb the spread of coronavirus in the Palestinian territories, through giving assistance, coordination and dialog, and cooperation, to the best of our abilities, with the Palestinian healthcare system, as well as in coordination with the international community."
Thousands of COVID-19 test kits and protective equipment were transferred to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, the Finance Ministry said in a statement to the media after the meeting.
Thursday's meeting was the second such conversation between Mladenov and Kahlon this week.
