Tashkent (TDI): Uzbekistan has unveiled a wide-ranging program to support Palestinian women and children evacuated from Gaza at the end of last year, offering financial assistance, housing, healthcare, and free education.
A presidential decree published on August 14 announced the creation of a special fund under the National Social Protection Agency to finance the initiative.
On December 26, 2024, 100 injured Palestinian women and children were flown from Rafah to Uzbekistan. They were admitted to hospitals and rehabilitation centers for treatment, provided with medicines, and given medical check-ups. Officials say the latest measures are designed not only to address urgent needs but also to help evacuees adapt to life in Uzbek society.
The new fund will cover living expenses, rent, and one-off material assistance, with resources coming from charitable donations, international aid, and other legal channels. Spending will be supervised by a national commission to ensure transparency.
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Support measures include monthly stipends for adults of working age, full coverage of rental payments for families, childbirth and funeral allowances equal to those provided to Uzbek citizens, and one-time financial aid for essential non-food items. Each family will also be assigned a local social worker to provide tailored assistance.
A Republican Commission will coordinate government agencies, while mahalla committees and social service centers will help evacuees integrate into their new communities.
Children will be guaranteed places in state schools and kindergartens without waiting lists, with fees waived until January 1, 2028. Palestinian students will have their foreign academic documents recognized within two months, free of charge and without additional exams.
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The Ministry of Health will register evacuees at nearby family medical centers, ensuring free access to care on the same terms as low-income Uzbek citizens. Those diagnosed with a disability will be granted official status without delay, and elderly evacuees lacking sufficient work records will receive pensions within two weeks.
Within a month, the Social Protection Agency must submit plans to help evacuees secure jobs or develop new skills. Palestinians will also be eligible for entrepreneurship and small business programs such as Family Entrepreneurship, Support for Small Business, and First Step to Business. Local officials and banks will oversee financial support and provide practical guidance.
The initiative comes as Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian crisis. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 145,000 wounded since the outbreak of war in October 2023, figures that international agencies, including the UN, often cite.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly floated the idea of relocating Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, including South Sudan, a suggestion denied by Juba.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
