Geneva, November 10 (QNA) - The State of Qatar participated Tuesday in the Partners' Meeting to Support the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Program of Assistance for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, held in Geneva and attended by Their Excellencies Ministers of Labour and representatives of workers and employers from the ILO's Member States.

HE Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri represented the State of Qatar at the meeting.

In his remarks, His Excellency stressed that conditions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory were witnessing a serious and alarming deterioration amid continued military operations and restrictions on the entry of aid into the Strip, further exacerbating the humanitarian and economic crisis.

His Excellency indicated that the data contained in the Office's background note indicated that more than half a million jobs had been lost since October 2023, while unemployment rates had reached 28.6 percent in the West Bank and exceeded 80 percent in the Gaza Strip. He noted that these figures reflected the scale of the crisis facing Palestinian workers and employers, as well as the growing difficulties experienced by families in securing even their most basic needs. This underscored the importance of the ILO continuing to provide the necessary assistance.

In this regard, His Excellency expressed his appreciation for the ILO's efforts to respond to urgent needs through its Emergency Response Plan and the associated recovery program. He also welcomed the Decent Work and Recovery Program for the Occupied Palestinian Territory for 2026-2029, describing it as an important framework for supporting recovery efforts through a focus on three key areas: employment and enterprise recovery, social protection, and labour market governance.

His Excellency stressed that the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating situation in the West Bank called for greater concerted efforts to ensure that those affected received the necessary assistance. He emphasized that Palestinian workers and employers, as well as the Palestinian people as a whole, remained in urgent need of the international community's solidarity.

His Excellency also thanked the ILO Director-General and the Organization's Office for convening the meeting, commending the ILO's ongoing efforts to mitigate the effects of the devastating war in the Gaza Strip and the escalation of violence in the West Bank, and the resulting impact on the lives of workers, employers and the Palestinian people as a whole.

The Ministry of Labour's participation in the meeting with a high-level delegation reflects the State of Qatar's continued support for the Palestinian people through international forums. It also underscores the need for the ILO to take the necessary measures to assist workers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, while strengthening its efforts to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the three parties to production in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (QNA)