“The Sovereign Order of Malta strongly deplores the attack against a convoy of a nonprofit organization in the Gaza Strip, after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid, which killed 7 aid workers. International Humanitarian Law remains under threat”, declared the Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo in the aftermath of the Israeli raid. “Attacks on civilians or protected infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, are prohibited. Humanitarian aid is and must remain neutral and those in need and those who provide assistance should be protected, even under the worst and most dangerous situations of conflict. The Order of Malta believes that the humanitarian organizations should gather together around a basic objective: uphold the International Humanitarian Law and bring forward a coordinated activity of advocacy with Governments and major international fora”.

In the Holy Land, in Bethlehem – in the West Bank – the Order of Malta runs the Holy Family Hospital where over 4,500 babies are born every year. It is the only hospital in the region equipped with an intensive neonatology ward capable of treating premature babies or those born with serious genetic disorders. Located a a few minutes away from the Church of the Nativity, the Holy Family has seen more than 100,000 babies born since 1990, some born at less than 32 weeks’ gestation.

As a university hospital, the Holy Family guarantees continuous training and continuing education; 200 nurses and midwives were trained in 2021 alone. The staff consists of Christian and Muslim doctors and nurses. The Holy Family Hospital serves a catchment area of one million people; it is an extremely important reference hospital for the health of women and children in the region.