Funds for aid projects of international organisations in Gaza, Ukraine and neighbouring countries
Vienna (OTS) – This year, the Ministry of Health is supporting medical care in crisis areas with 3.5 million euros. Health Minister Johannes Rauch will present the pledge on Monday at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva. 2.5 million euros of this will go to emergency medical care in Gaza and the care of refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. The evacuation of seriously injured patients to safe areas will also be financially supported. 1 million euros will go to projects in Ukraine and the neighboring Republic of Moldova. “The situation is particularly dramatic in Gaza. Hospitals destroyed and aid corridors blocked: our help is urgently needed there to ensure medical care,” emphasizes Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch. He will also hold talks at the World Health Assembly on how to proceed after the provisional breakdown of negotiations on the pandemic agreement. ***
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the war in the Middle East have significantly worsened the situation in the affected regions. In order to improve the health care of people in these areas, the Ministry of Health is providing a total of 3.5 million euros this year. This will benefit humanitarian aid projects run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which can offer urgently needed help on the ground in a targeted manner.
Around 1 million euros will be provided by the WHO to provide emergency medical care for the civilian population in Gaza. Austria has already provided 32 million euros in humanitarian aid for the suffering population in Gaza and the region since October 7. A further 500,000 euros will be made available for the evacuation of seriously injured people and patients in urgent need of treatment to safe areas.
“Almost 80,000 people have been injured since the war began. Now the WHO is also reporting increasing numbers of jaundice, respiratory and diarrheal infections. This is alarming. Medical care for the people of Gaza is the top priority in the current situation,” stresses Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch. “With our support, we are helping to save lives. The evacuation of seriously injured people to safe areas must also be ensured again in order to provide care for patients who need acute treatment.”
The Ministry of Health is supporting the health care of refugees in Lebanon and Jordan through the UN refugee agency UNHCR with an additional 1 million euros. The projects are helping the local health system, which is reaching its limits due to the admission of over 1.5 million refugees from Syria. This enables the treatment of serious illnesses that lead to permanent disabilities.
The Ministry of Health is also supporting the work of the WHO country offices in Ukraine and Moldova with 500,000 euros each. In Ukraine, these funds will go towards the fight against infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Infection rates have risen significantly since the start of the war due to a lack of preventive and therapeutic measures. In Moldova, the improvement of long-term care and support for people with disabilities are being supported.
“Warlike conflicts endanger the health care of the population not only in war zones, but also in the immediate neighboring countries. The consequences are sometimes fatal,” stresses Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch. “International organizations can offer targeted support where it is urgently needed. I am pleased that we can support their work with funds from my department.”
Smoke at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva
The current development of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Ukraine will also be a topic at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva. Health Minister Johannes Rauch will discuss this with WHO Deputy Director General Michael Ryan. The discussion will also focus on the next steps after negotiations on the international pandemic agreement ended on Friday evening without agreement. Austria was one of the supporters of the treaty, which provided for closer cooperation in the fight against pandemics and the distribution of medicines to countries in the global south.
Further bilateral meetings are planned with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Austrian Volker Türk, and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
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