Arab leaders endorse Egypt’s $53 billion Gaza reconstruction plan
Cairo/Gaza: Arab leaders have approved Egypt’s $53 billion Gaza reconstruction plan, aimed at preventing the displacement of Palestinians and rebuilding the war-torn enclave. The decision was made during an emergency Arab summit in Cairo on Tuesday, with full backing from participating leaders.
The plan includes establishing a seaport and an airport in Gaza, as well as recycling rubble left by the destruction. A non-factional technocratic committee will oversee Gaza’s administration for at least six months under the Palestinian Authority’s umbrella.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Egypt would seek international support for the plan. Arab leaders pledged financial, material, and political assistance, urging global institutions to contribute. They also emphasised the need to implement the next phases of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel and called for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor.
The leaders warned that any attempts to annex Palestinian land or displace its people would escalate conflict and destabilise the region. They vowed to establish a trust fund for reconstruction and rejected previous proposals, including former US President Donald Trump's plan to relocate Gazans to neighbouring countries.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the reconstruction plan, reaffirming support for Trump’s earlier proposal. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed the UN’s readiness to support Egypt’s initiative, calling for unimpeded humanitarian aid access.
Hamas welcomed the summit’s outcomes, hailing the Arab leaders’ rejection of displacement efforts. The group asserted that the Palestinian “Nakba” of 1948 would not be repeated and called for mobilising resources to ensure the plan’s success.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
