Press conference on 27 February: Umbria at the forefront of the health campaign in Palestine

PERUGIA, 27 February – A press conference was held at the Sala Fiume of the Umbria Region to present the Health Campaign in Palestine, an international cooperation initiative by GSI Italia that aims to strengthen health and humanitarian support for the Palestinian population.
The meeting opened with a moving video message from Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who expressed words of encouragement and gratitude to GSI Italia and Forum Sad for their concrete and supportive commitment. In his speech, he stressed the importance of closeness that is not only symbolic but concrete and operational, capable of bringing health aid and hope in a context marked by profound difficulties.

Institutional and cooperation interventions
The following speakers took part in the conference:
• On behalf of President Proietti, Regional Councillor Fabio Barcaioli reiterated the support of the Umbria Region, which, he said, ‘will stand alongside GSI Italia in the health campaign presented as a guest of the regional council at Palazzo Donini.’
• Antonio Loiacono, President of GSI Italia, who outlined the operational objectives of the campaign, focusing on the shipment of medicines and medical devices, the deployment of Italian personnel and the reception of Palestinian healthcare workers in Umbria, hosted free of charge by the municipal administration of Trevi, and the collection of financial resources to pay Palestinian healthcare workers operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
• Giovanni Lattanzi, president of AOI – Association of Italian NGOs, with over 500 member associations, who highlighted the importance of national coordination between organisations engaged in international cooperation;
• Caterina Costa, president of the Assisi Peace Centre and the Umbria Development Cooperation Network, who recalled the value of the culture of peace and solidarity as fundamental tools for building international relations based on dialogue and respect for human rights;

• Sergio Dainotti, president of Banco Farmaceutico in Milan, who confirmed his commitment to the health campaign in Palestine for no less than €400,000 per year through the supply of medicines to Gsi Italia;
• Luciano Della Vecchia, president of TAMAT, who emphasised the need for a structured and ongoing commitment to the health campaign over time.

The meeting was also enriched by video contributions from the Mayor of Trevi, Ferdinando Gemma, fundraising manager Angelo Vernillo and Vincenzo Curatola, president of Forum SAD, who expressed their support and willingness to actively collaborate in fundraising and raising awareness in the area.

A fruitful and motivating meeting
The meeting proved to be particularly fruitful and animated by a strong spirit of shared motivation. All the speeches highlighted the need for concrete, coordinated and transparent action capable of guaranteeing essential health aid – medicines, medical devices and support for local facilities – at a time of extreme crisis.
The conference was not only an informative event, but also a strong sign of unity between institutions, third sector organisations and local communities. Umbria thus confirms its status as a land of solidarity and cooperation, ready to do its part to support the Palestinian people’s right to health and dignity.
The campaign will kick off in the coming weeks with fundraising initiatives and awareness-raising events across the country through the networks of AOI, Forumsad, Focsiv and Rete Umbra Cooperazione, coordinated by Gsi Italia.