UN Palestinian Committee lauds Guyana for $110M support for relief efforts

President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday received a courtesy visit from representatives of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), a committee mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in order to promote the rights of the Palestinian people, support the peace process and to mobilise assistance to the Palestinian people.
According to a brief statement from the Office of the President, the Committee members, during their engagement with the President at State House, expressed their gratitude towards the Guyanese leader and the people of Guyana for their voice in support of the people of Palestine, especially during its presidency of the UN Security Council.

They also expressed their gratitude to the Guyanese people for raising over $110 million to support relief efforts.
“During the meeting, the President reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the principles of justice, fairness, peace and equity. He also reaffirmed the country’s hope for a two-state solution,” the statement from the President’s Office reads.
The delegation was led by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yeşim Oruç and featured Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN and Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Cheikh Niang; Permanent Representative of Cuba to the UN and Vice Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán; Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, Ambassador Riyad Mansour and Senior Political Officer and Secretary of the Committee, Patrice Chiwota.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper; Guyana’s Ambassador to Caricom, George Talbot and Director of Presidential Affairs, Marcia Nadir-Sharma were also a part of the meeting.

$110M in funds
Upon the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan 2024, a total of $110,815,105 in humanitarian aid was raised by Guyana for the people of Palestine.
The fund-raising initiative was launched by President Ali on the 27th night of Ramadan, which Muslims believe to be the “Night of Power”.
The funds raised have since been handed over to President Ali where it will be delivered to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) to assist those affected by the ongoing war.
“While Guyana’s Muslim community is a small percentage of the overall population of the country and it is certainly not a community with great means, the amount raised is a testimony to their spirit of generosity and willingness to sacrifice wealth to help the Palestinian people. It was heart-warming to see the overwhelmingly positive response of Guyanese citizens from all walks of life to the images of death and destruction in Gaza, the West Bank and those living in the remarkable city of Jerusalem, home of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site,” the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) had expressed in a statement on the initiative.
“We commend President Ali for his astute leadership and public position he has taken on the ongoing war in demanding an immediate end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the brutal occupation of Palestinian lands,” the CIOG had added. (G11)