MEDIA RELEASE
Podgorica, October 29, 2023
On Tuesday, at the invitation of the ambassador of the State of Palestine in Montenegro, H.E. Rabija Alhantulija, a meeting was held with representatives of non-governmental organizations that recently submitted an initiative to the Government of Montenegro to donate funds to the UN Agency for Aid to Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The Government of Montenegro accepted the initiative of the NGO and at the session held on October 19, 2023 tasked the Ministry of Finance to provide an adequate amount of financial aid to the vulnerable civilian population of Gaza through the UN Agency for Aid to Palestine Refugees[1].
The non-governmental organizations that are involved in this initiative hereby welcome the sending of financial aid by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the UN Agency for Aid to Palestine Refugees in the amount of 40,000 dollars, with the regret that Montenegro is not in a position to send more significant aid, as well as a call to respect international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.[2]
At the meeting, the Ambassador of Palestine expressed his gratitude to the non-governmental organizations for the aforementioned initiative and informed them of the situation and difficult conditions in which the civilian population in Gaza, especially women, children and the elderly, are.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations expressed deep regret for the lives lost during the terrorist attack by Hamas and the subsequent indiscriminate bombing of civilian objects in the Gaza Strip, as well as the violence in the West Bank, including the destruction of communication infrastructure that threatens to isolate the Gaza Strip from the rest of the world, which represent a continuation of the practice violations of the human rights of Palestinian civilians, apartheid, war crimes, collective punishment, persecution and ignoring numerous resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly. They emphasized that it is important to show solidarity towards innocent civilians on both sides, to advocate for peace and the cessation of armed conflicts. They also expressed their willingness to engage in the collection of appropriate humanitarian aid, which is important for the large number of people who are now in mortal danger in the Gaza Strip. In this sense, they announced the launch of a platform for collecting aid and informing the public about ways of providing support to the vulnerable civilian population.
The Ambassador of Palestine pointed out that it is not possible to send support in the form of medical supplies, equipment and other materials to help the victims of civilians in the Gaza area from Montenegro, and suggested that the collected funds be directed to the Red Crescent of the State of Palestine, whose members are on the ground every day and provide the most support in the vulnerable population. He also informed that in the process of opening a giro account through which the citizens of Montenegro will be able to support the work of this organization, which is an integral part of the international network of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The meeting with the ambassador of Palestine and the initiative of non-governmental organizations indicate the importance of expressing solidarity with endangered civilians and engaging in support of peace in the Middle East.
Funds to help the civilians of the Gaza Strip can be sent to the account of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, via the following link:
[1] https://www.gov.me/clanak/saopstenje-sa-70-sjednice-vlade-crne-gore
[2] https://www.gov.me/clanak/mvp-realizovalo-uplatu-humanitarne-pomoci-ugrozenim-civilima-u-palestini
