The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Palestine, Mrs. Ghada Hirzallah, welcomed a ministerial delegation headed by Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa as part of his tour of Bethlehem Governorate. The delegation included Minister of Social Development Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Health Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, Minister of Labour Dr. Enas Al-Atari, Minister of Education and Higher Education Prof. Dr. Amjad Barham, Minister of Local Government Dr. Sami Hijjawi, and Bethlehem Governor Major General Mohammad Taha Abu Alia. The delegation visited the village to learn more about the situation of children and the services and care provided to them, particularly children without parental care and children arriving from the Gaza Strip.

The visit began with a tour at one of the family homes in the village, where the Prime Minister learned about the children’s daily lives. He also listened to the caregiver speak about her experience, the nature of the care provided, and the children’s needs and circumstances.

In the main hall, the children welcomed the Prime Minister and the ministerial delegation with a musical performance by the SOS Children’s Villages choir, featuring 23 boys and girls, before the official remarks began.

For her part, Mrs. Ghada Hirzallah, welcomed the ministerial delegation and began her remarks by highlighting the organization’s key interventions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, particularly under its Emergency Response Program.

She also outlined a number of interventions implemented by the organization, including alternative family care, psychosocial support, in-kind and cash assistance, education and vocational training support, family strengthening, as well as its response to children affected by the war. These interventions have reached 85,000 participants.

In turn, Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa expressed his appreciation for the professional and institutional standards demonstrated by SOS Children’s Villages, commending its staff for providing a safe environment and quality care to children despite the difficult political, economic, and humanitarian circumstances.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the organization’s work represents an important contribution to the wellbeing of Palestinian children and the future generation, stressing the importance of continuing and expanding these efforts, particularly in light of the significant and growing needs of children in the Gaza Strip. He called for continued cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Social Development, relevant ministries, partners, and supporting organizations'.

He also emphasized that the government places great confidence in children and young people in building Palestine’s future, noting that they are the generation that will carry the Palestinian flag forward in the future.

The visit took place within the framework of the ongoing partnership and coordination between the Ministry of Social Development and SOS Children’s Villages in the field of child protection and support for the most vulnerable families. This includes protecting children without parental care, responding to children affected by the war, and ensuring a coordinated humanitarian response.

The visit concluded with the distribution of school bags and gifts to the children to mark the start of the new school year.