As hospitals in Gaza contend with an overflow of casualties, the threat of cholera, and scarcity of water and fuel, the humanitarian catastrophe intensifies following Israel’s bombardment since the Hamas attack on October 7.
Accusations from Hamas assert that Israel is deliberately targeting Gaza’s hospitals, while Israeli authorities counter by claiming that the Palestinian Islamist movement is using these medical facilities as hiding places.
The largest hospital in the Palestinian territory, Al Shifa, has initiated the evacuation of patients. In northern Gaza, two other hospitals—Indonesian and Ahli Arab—have also appealed for assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) to facilitate evacuations, according to a spokesperson from the UN agency, Christian Lindmeier.
Emphasizing the urgency, Lindmeier stated, “The primary focus is not on evacuating hospitals, as they represent the only secure locations for the population as a last resort.”
The WHO is formulating a plan to evacuate 200 patients and 50 healthcare workers from Al Shifa Hospital, where, in recent days, 31 premature babies were transferred.
Humanitarian organizations are sounding the alarm about the dire consequences of the fuel shortage for transporting aid to Gaza and for the functioning of generators in hospitals and sanitation systems.
“Operating at less than half capacity, hospitals and clinics face significant challenges,” Lindmeier reported.
The healthcare system grapples with the influx of thousands of wounded and ill individuals. According to WHO data, approximately 160 children lose their lives every day, equating to one death every 10 minutes and two additional injuries every 10 minutes.
Non-governmental organizations highlight a substantial surge in diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections. Simultaneously, nearly 900,000 displaced individuals seek refuge in overcrowded shelters administered by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, painted a grim picture, stating, “Water reserves are depleting rapidly, and in densely populated areas, waste disposal poses a significant challenge.”
UNICEF underscores that the minimum emergency threshold for water per person per day, particularly in times of conflict or famine, is 15 liters. However, residents in certain areas of Gaza have access to barely three liters of water per day, or none at all, as pointed out by Elder.
Currently, there are no indications of cholera in Gaza, where the bacteria causing the disease was absent before the outbreak of hostilities, according to WHO reports. Nonetheless, the prevalence of watery diarrhea among tens of thousands of individuals with severe physical disabilities poses an equally perilous health risk.
Thousands of patients face imminent danger, including over 2,000 battling cancer, 50,000 contending with cardiovascular diseases, and more than 60,000 grappling with diabetes. The WHO reports the birth of approximately 180 babies every day, with most births occurring without medical assistance.
While an agreement has been reached to allow the daily entry of 70,000 liters of fuel, the UN emphasizes the need for 200,000 liters daily. Additionally, Israel has decided not to impose restrictions on the number of authorized trucks delivering humanitarian aid, which traverse from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing—the sole exit from Gaza not under Israeli control.
The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) reported on social media platform X that, in coordination with the Palestinian Red Crescent, over 950 trucks laden with crucial aid have been delivered to Gaza. The World Food Programme notes a 12% rise in inflation in Gaza since October, with no operational bakeries in the northern region due to infrastructure destruction and shortages of water and energy.