NAM countries’ health ministers call a halt to Israeli health-related violations in Golan

Geneva – Health ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries called for an end to the health-related violations of the Israeli occupation in the occupied Syrian Golan.

Following a meeting held with the participation of Syria on the sidelines of the 71 World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of WHO, Health Minister Dr. Nizar Yazigi said the NAM countries’ health ministers have adopted a decision demanding member states, international organizations and specialized agencies, each within the purview of its mandate, to push for putting an end to health-related violations committed by occupation authorities in the Syrian Golan, SANA reported.

The 71st session of the World Health Assembly kicked off last Monday and continues until May 26 in conjunction with the anniversary of the founding of the WHO, with the participation of ministers of health and heads of delegations from 194 countries.

The minister said the decision demands curbing Israeli violations against the Palestinian people with regards to the blockade and its dire consequences on the health conditions, highlighting the necessity of providing help and support for the Palestinian people.

In another context, the minister met with Director of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling for lifting unilateral coercive measures against the Syrian people which have hit the health sector hard.

Syria has reservations over a WHO statement on the use of chemical weapons in Douma city and the ‘lukewarm presence’ of international organizations in Eastern Ghouta following its liberation from terrorism, the minister clarified, elaborating on the Syrian government’s efforts to provide healthcare services to all citizens and the unprecedented health interventions that have yielded positive results.

The Syrian government’s efforts have led to a stabilized health situation and no pandemics registered, the minister explained, calling on the organization to back efforts to rehabilitate damaged health infrastructure.

The minister said there is need to engage a representative from the WHO office in Damascus in a forthcoming mission the organization intends to dispatch to the Syrian Golan to assess the health situation there, inviting WHO Director to visit Syria for a close look at the health-related services in it.