‘Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for being with us today.

The Karni / Al-Mintar Crossing is often referred to as Gaza’™s “oxygen’™: the only entry and exit point for commercial goods and humanitarian aid, and the only crossing point between the two split parts of the Palestinian Territories: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The complete lack of security staff and infrastructure in this area has compromised the economic role of this strategic point, provoking dramatic loss in agricultural products and increasing the rate of unemployment in Gaza.

As the Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City, I am proud and honoured to announce to you that the UAE’™s leading corporation Emaar has donated 6 buses to the Palestinian Authorities, to allow the transportation of the Palestinian Presidential Guards. The Guards will be trained by UNOPS to reinforce security at the Karni/Al-Mintar Crossing and hence improve future commercial and humanitarian operations.

This project and this donation perfectly reflect the spirit of sustainable development and global synergy that the International Humanitarian City envisages, as a global aid and humanitarian hub. Through such noble efforts and partnerships, the UAE and Dubai are recognised year after year as a nation and a city that care and help in particularly innovative and intelligent ways. We hope this fruitful collaboration between UN agencies, International donors, corporate sponsors, humanitarian organisations and local governments for the sake of a sustainable peace and development process will inspire many others. And the International Humanitarian City will continue to support these partnerships with all our means and all our voice.

Thank you.’

For more information, visit ihc.ae