Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan

Year

2020

UN Body

World Health Organization

Session

73

Symbol

WHA73/32

Agenda Item

17

Country Concerned

Israel

Condemnatory

Yes

Analysis

  • The World Health Assembly adopts only one resolution focused on a specific country - Israel. It does not single out any other country in the world for such scrutiny, including Syria, where hospitals and medical infrastructure have suffered devastating bombings by Syrian and Russian forces, Yemen, where 19.7 million people lack access to healthcare due to the current crisis, or Venezuela, where the health system has collapsed. Furthermore, use of terms like "occupied Palestinian territory" and "occupied Syrian Golan" indicates the resolution is blaming Israel for the Palestinians' situation.

Main Sponsors

Cuba, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey

Vote

Yes - 78, No - 14, Abstain - 32, Absent - 55

Key Praise

None

Key Criticism

  • "Decided to request the Director-General… (2) to provide support to the Palestinian health services… (5) to provide health-related technical assistance to the Syrian population in the occupied Syrian Golan. (6) to continue providing the necessary technical assistance in order to meet the health needs of the Palestinian people, including prisoners and detainees... (7) to support the development of the health system in the occupied Palestinian territory..."

Full Vote

  • Yes78

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  • No14

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  • Abstain32

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  • Absent55

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