Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, Minister of state at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has acknowledged the tense situation in the Middle East region.
This came as he delivered the closing remarks at the Doha Forum held in Qatar.
He averred, “We are in a pivotal moment in the Middle East, standing at a crossroad and facing the challenges before us from the distressing conflict in the Gaza Strip to the pressing humanitarian needs in Yemen and Syria, and we call upon all of us to unite in taking action.”
“We strongly believe that violence has never been the solution, that military actions and clashes have never been an option,” he noted.
He asserted, “It’s important for us that we work together towards dialogue, and here in Qatar, we have always been advocates for dialogue and diplomacy.”
Also at the forum, Jordan’s Prime Minister, Bisher Khasawneh reiterated the kingdom’s strong rejection of Palestinian displacement.
“This is a potential game changer,” he .
“Our concern departs from statements and actions that occurred in Gaza, and still occur, that suggest that there is a deliberate attempt to generate the conditions for Gazans – coupled with increased violence in the West Bank abandoned to settlers – that will compel people to consider the option of moving across the border.”
Bisher Khasawneh
Speakers at the forum’s final panel drew attention to the situation in Gaza and the importance of saving Palestinian lives.
Omar Suleiman, founder and president of the Yaqeen Institute, said that he thinks the United States’ stance will go down as a moment in history in which it “failed every single claim” that it has made about where it stands in the world.
“We are seeing a rise in anti-Palestinian bigotry that has led to the murder of a six-year old child and the shooting of young students for simply wearing a Palestinian traditional scarf in the streets of Vermont,” he said.
On his part, Miguel Angel Moratinos, high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, stated, “We cannot learn the lessons of history, and I’m afraid that it seems that we are waiting for a third world war to create a solution as we did after the second world war.”
UN Aid Chief Expresses Gratitude To Qatar
In his speech at the Doha Forum, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths thanked Qatar’s Prime Minister and the government for its continuous efforts in seeking peace and justice in Gaza.
“Thank you, honourable Prime Minister, for what you and your government do daily to seek for peace, to provide for humanitarian assistance, to understand the relationship between the two because I have direct experience of in the case of Gaza,” Griffiths said.
“We are hugely in your debt due to your creative diplomacy, your humanitarian diplomacy, your political diplomacy. There’s a generosity that goes with it, so thank you very much indeed.”
Martin Griffiths
Griffith highlighted the crisis in Gaza. He also made mention of humanitarian issues plaguing parts of the world.
“More people are displaced than at any time since the beginning of this century, one in every 73 people around the world, a ratio that has doubled in more than 10 years. Nearly one in five children around the world is either living in or fleeing from conflict.”
Martin Griffiths
Moreover, the UN aid Chief appreciated the generosity of humanitarian funding that came from various people in general as well as at the forum.
“Humanitarian assistance cannot be the entire solution, everyone has to be part of the process. […] It is time that we make a reality in the field, not in panel discussions,” he noted.
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