AMMAN/GENEVA. UNRWA, in collaboration with WHO, successfully orchestrated the delivery of urgently needed emergency medical supplies and medicines to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, located in the northern region of the Gaza Strip. This remarkable effort took place despite the significant risks faced by our staff and health partners due to the continuous bombardments in Gaza.
This marks only the second delivery of life-saving supplies to the hospital since the escalation of hostilities and the complete blockade of Gaza commenced. On October 24, WHO managed to deliver medical supplies to the hospital under high-security conditions.
While this assistance is certainly welcomed, the quantities provided are far from adequate to address the overwhelming healthcare needs in the Gaza Strip. Al-Shifa Hospital, which stands as the largest healthcare facility in the Gaza Strip and one of its oldest Palestinian health institutions, currently faces a dire medical situation.
The hospital is inundated, with almost two patients for every available bed. The emergency department and wards are overwhelmed, forcing doctors and medical staff to treat wounded and sick patients in hallways, on the floor, and even outdoors. The number of wounded individuals continues to rise hourly, and patients are experiencing extreme and unnecessary pain as medicines and anesthetics become increasingly scarce. Furthermore, tens of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge in the hospital’s parking lots and courtyards.
Al-Shifa Hospital holds a long-standing reputation as the primary healthcare facility in Gaza, and its doctors, nurses, and staff have displayed immense heroism in the face of the current crisis. However, they require additional support. Isolating or depriving the northern areas of Gaza from humanitarian assistance is not an option, and patients there have an unequivocal right to the healthcare they urgently require. Humanitarian aid should reach all corners of Gaza.
The critical issue at hand is the depletion of supplies and fuel in medical facilities. Shockingly, no fuel has been allowed into the Gaza Strip, including Al-Shifa Hospital, for over a month.
UNRWA and WHO urgently reiterate their call for the delivery of fuel to humanitarian agencies in the Gaza Strip. Without fuel, hospitals and essential facilities, including desalination plants and bakeries, are unable to function, resulting in more lives lost.
The ability of hospitals and medical facilities to operate is of paramount importance, especially during conflicts. In accordance with international humanitarian law, we demand the protection of all medical facilities, personnel, patients, and the wounded. We advocate for the consistent and ample flow of humanitarian supplies and fuel and for safe and unimpeded access to deliver these supplies to healthcare facilities throughout the Gaza Strip. Additionally, we call for the medical evacuation of critically injured and ill patients.
With emailed reports from WHO.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
