One week ago, the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Niksic, met at the seat of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo with the Ambassador of Palestine to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rezek Namoora. Federal Minister of Displaced Persons and Refugees, Nerin Dizdar, was also present at the meeting.
Prime Minister Niksic conveyed to the Palestinian ambassador his sympathy and understanding towards the Palestinian people and the situation the civilians of that nation were in at the time. He reflected on how, in the not too distant past, Bosnian citizens and their families endured brutal shelling and suffering. He further expressed his prior commitment to assist, sharing with the ambassador the conclusion the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina had recently adopted. This conclusion revealed their preparedness to temporarily house orphaned children from the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah, Palestine, within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Both the Federal Prime Minister and Minister Dizdar emphasized that this resolution would be enacted in line with existing international and BiH laws. They stipulated this would occur only if the decision to relocate Palestinian orphans was taken by the relevant authorities in Palestine. Ambassador Namoora expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Federation of BiH for its demonstrated willingness to assist the Palestinian people, noting the final decision on this initiative rested with the leadership of his country.
During their discussion, the Palestinian ambassador shared with Prime Minister Niksic and Minister Dizdar that, at that point in time, out of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million population, 1.5 million were displaced and homeless. He reported that 5,200 people had been killed, approximately 16,000 were seriously injured, and an estimated 1,500 were believed to be deceased beneath the rubble. The ambassador also shed light on the dire health conditions in his nation, highlighting the risk of disease outbreaks. He lamented that the number of trucks delivering humanitarian aid was woefully insufficient, meeting the requirements of only one settlement.
The Ambassador expressed his deep gratitude to the individuals in Bosnia and Herzegovina who had shown solidarity with his people by participating in peaceful gatherings the day before. He also appreciated those who reached out to the Embassy daily to convey their support for the Palestinian people and offer assistance. This was announced by the FBiH Government Office for Public Relations.
