Israel and allies must bring year long war in Gaza to an end
“Israeli bombardments of densely populated areas have repeatedly caused injuries on a massive scale. Our teams have been forced to perform surgeries without anaesthesia, witness children die on hospitals floors due to a lack of resources, and even treat their own colleagues and family members,” says Dr Amber Alayyan, MSF medical programme manager. “Meanwhile, the healthcare system in Gaza has been systematically dismantled by Israeli forces.”
MSF teams were already treating the effects of Israel’s 17-year blockade and recurrent attacks on people in Gaza, including treating patients for long-lasting injuries, mental health conditions, and severe burns, inflicted before 7 October. Since that date though, while needs have soared as a consequence of Israel pummelling the Strip, access to healthcare has been reduced to shreds.
Today, only 17 out of out of 36 hospitals are partially functional.
The lack of access to healthcare is compounded by the dearth of enough humanitarian supplies in Gaza. Israeli authorities have routinely imposed unclear, unpredictable criteria for authorising the entry of supplies. Once supplies cross into the Gaza Strip, they often do not make it to their destination, due to an absence of safe and accessible roads, ongoing fighting, and looting of food and basic supply items.
“As the medical needs in the Strip increase, our capacity to respond continues to be limited; we just cannot get enough humanitarian and medical supplies into Gaza,” says Dr Alayyan.
Fonte original msf.org