Gaza: Undersecretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, Dr. Yousef Abu Al Rish, announced that 59 percent of essential medications and 37 percent of medical supplies in Gaza hospitals are completely depleted due to the ongoing blockade, the continuation of Israeli attacks, and restrictions on the entry of medical supplies.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Abu Al Rish emphasized that the health and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached critical and catastrophic levels, pointing out that the ongoing closure of crossings is exacerbating the health conditions of hundreds of patients and wounded individuals awaiting travel for treatment abroad.
During his meeting with acting humanitarian affairs coordinator Suzanna Tkalec on Sunday, he revealed that 13,000 patients urgently require leaving the Gaza Strip to receive specialized medical care. He added that the prevention of food supply deliveries threatens food security and increases the likelihood of child fatalities due to malnutrition and anemia. The official noted that 52 children have died from malnutrition during the war, warning of facing new numbers unless food supplies are allowed entry.
Additionally, he reported that 274 children were born and subsequently killed during the war on Gaza, and that 16 out of the 52 primary healthcare centers have been completely shut down. Dr. Abu Al Rish stressed that Gaza's hospitals desperately need oxygen stations to enable critical departments to continue providing medical care to the injured and sick. He warned that health services, which currently rely on generators, are at risk of collapse due to shortages of fuel, spare parts, oils, and filters.
He highlighted that many emergency interventions are impossible to carry out due to a lack of diagnostic medical equipment. He also pointed out that the direct targeting of paramedics and humanitarian teams poses a major obstacle to efforts to evacuate the wounded and injured. He cautioned that the disruption of water lines increases health and environmental risks, leading to the spread of diarrhea and skin diseases.
Gaza's healthcare sector is suffering from a severe crisis due to the blockade on medical supplies, the ongoing targeting of medical personnel through killings or arrests, and the destruction of major hospitals in the Gaza Strip. The recent killing of 15 members of the Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams in Rafah by the Israeli military illustrates the deliberate targeting of medical teams to prevent them from performing their humanitarian duties.