Arab health ministers set aside USD 1.2 mln for Syria, Yemen, Palestine

AMMAN, March 15 (KUNA) -- The 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health, held here Thursday, decided to allocate USD 1.2 million for an urgent relief effort for Syria, Yemen and Palestine.

Kuwaiti Health Minister Dr. Ali Al-Obeidi as well as 18 other Arab Health minister took part in the meetings that concluded its activities here today.

The council agreed to provide a USD 1 million equally to Syria and Yemen, as the rest USD 200,000 to the Palestinian Authority.

The Council appointed the technical secretariat of the council of Arab ministers of Health to coordinate with the ministries of health in the neighboring countries of Syria to ensure that medical support for Syrian citizens is reached.

The council called for the implementation of the Arab League's decision which demanded the Syrian government "to allow immediate access to international and Arab aid groups." In regards to the USD 500,000 allocated to the health sector to Yemen, the council decided to coordinate with the Yemeni Ministry of Health to determine their needs and entrusted the technical secretariat of the council to coordinate and cooperate with the Organization of Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross, as well as the Arab Doctors Union to deliver the aid.

As for the amount of USD 200,000, it was allocated to the Palestinian health sector to provide the needs of medicines and medical supplies.