Uzbekistan has launched a state program to provide comprehensive social and material assistance to Palestinian citizens who have arrived in the country and obtained temporary resident (“guest”) status. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the corresponding decree on August 14.
Under the decree, a Republican Commission on the Adaptation of “Guests from Palestine” has been established, headed by Presidential Adviser on Strategic Development Sardor Umurzakov. The commission coordinates the work of government bodies, allocates Palestinians across the regions, and develops support measures.
The decree notes that evacuated Palestinians have been provided with temporary housing, undergone medical examinations, and received necessary medications. Programs for cultural and spiritual adaptation have been organized for them, including educational events and friendship meetings.
The document provides for the registration and issuance of residence permits to guests from Palestine. Able-bodied individuals will receive a monthly allowance equal to the minimum consumer spending. All families will have their rent compensated, receive the same birth and funeral benefits as Uzbek citizens, and be granted a one-time settlement allowance for the purchase of essential goods. A social worker will be assigned to each family.
Children of the guests will be admitted to public kindergartens and schools without waiting lists, and their parents will be exempt from fees until January 1, 2028 — education and extracurricular activities for young Palestinians in public institutions will be fully covered by the state budget. The Ministry of Higher Education has been instructed to recognize diplomas and educational documents within two months without exams or fees.
Palestinians will be registered with local family clinics and granted access to free medical services alongside citizens from socially vulnerable groups. Within two months, disability status will be determined for those with qualifying medical conditions.
Those wishing to work will be offered assistance in finding jobs and training in modern professions. Individuals planning to start a business will be able to access concessional loans and support through government programs for small business development, such as the Family Entrepreneurship Development Program, “Continuous Support for Small Business,” “First Step into Business,” and “From Poverty to Prosperity.”
To implement these measures, a special fund has been established under the National Agency for Social Protection, financed through charitable donations, grants from international organizations, and income from the placement of temporarily available funds. The Republican Commission will oversee the use of the fund.
Oversight of the decree’s implementation has been entrusted to Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Presidential Adviser Sardor Umurzakov.
In December 2024, the Uzbek authorities evacuated 100 wounded Palestinian women, children, and their escorts from the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. According to Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Egypt, Mansurbek Kilichev, the evacuation was carried out with the assistance of the health ministries of both countries. It was decided that the Palestinians would remain in Uzbekistan until they could safely return home. They were placed in hospitals and rehabilitation centers for treatment and recovery.
