(Gaza, 21-01-2011): French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michèle Alliot-Marie visited PRCS hospital in Gaza where she met with PRCS President Dr. Younis Al Khatib, PRCS General Director in the Gaza Strip Dr. Khaled Joudeh as well as with a number of PRCS officials.
During the visit, Alliot-Marie highlighted France’s support to Palestinians in all areas, especially in the health and economic fields. She said that her government had continuously called upon the Israeli authorities during the past several years to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. “Some progress has been made towards lifting the siege, but it was not sufficient”, she said. Furthermore, Alliot-Marie underlined that French support to PRCS is in line with the appreciation and respect the Society enjoys given the services it provides to Palestinians.
For his part, Dr. Al Khatib thanked France for its continuous support to Palestinians at all levels, including support to their right to self-determination and to building an independent State in Palestine. “Palestinians yearn for peace that would ensure freedom to Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centers”, he added.
During her visit, Minister Alliot-Marie inaugurated the hospital’s outpatients’ clinics, and then toured several hospital sections including the emergency room, the laboratory and the radiology unit. These sections were rehabilitated and restored with support from the French Government through the French Agency for Development (AFD) following the Appeal launched by PRCS in early 2009 to respond to humanitarian and social needs in the aftermath of the Israeli war on the Strip. It is to be noted that this war had damaged several parts of PRCS Al Quds hospital.
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