2024-02-14 23:26:00
Dr. Rick Pepperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said during a video press conference that as the war enters its fifth month, the World Health Organization is deeply concerned regarding the unimaginable catastrophe that might be caused by the potential expansion of military operations in Rafah. Right now, 1.5 million people are crammed there and have nowhere safe to go. Fear and panic dominate society, and it shows on everyone’s faces. Everywhere our team goes, people have the same two questions: What can we do, and where do we go?
We warn that a new wave of displacement and additional infections will have dire consequences for people’s health and mental well-being and will increase the burden of trauma on the already faltering health system – pushing it to the brink of collapse.
Currently, there are only three partially functioning hospitals in Rafah, supplemented by three field hospitals totaling only 450 beds. This number pales in comparison to the needs.
He said hospitals were overcrowded and short of supplies. Health workers are exhausted, and many are isolated from their families. Some say their families only receive updates regarding their safety from the news.
Repeated access restrictions and refusals continue to hamper the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. The World Health Organization and the United Nations stand ready to help, but we need sustainable guarantees of access and safety. Without it, humanitarian operations, already struggling to stay afloat, might grind to a halt.
From November to February 9, regarding 40% of WHO missions to the North were facilitated. The rest were rejected, hindered or postponed. About 45% of it has been facilitated to the south. Even if an immediate ceasefire is not reached, humanitarian corridors are urgently needed to continue providing vital aid.
Continuing attacks on health care facilities are exacerbating the crisis. Since October 7, the World Health Organization has documented 378 attacks in the Gaza Strip. About 70 health workers remain in detention. The World Health Organization is deeply concerned regarding their safety and well-being.
The evolving situation at Nasser Medical Complex is alarming. The hospital has reportedly been under siege since 6 February, and at least ten civilians have been killed. The northern gate of the hospital was demolished and its supply and equipment warehouses were destroyed due to the hostilities. Civilians taking shelter in the hospital were asked to evacuate. There are reportedly regarding 402 patients inside. Access to the hospital remains impeded, and there is no safe passage for those in need. We have had two WHO missions rejected in the past four days and we have lost contact with hospital staff. Our last visit to Nasser was on January 29th. We’ve seen before how depriving hospitals of resources and access can halt life-saving services. Nasser is considered the backbone of the health system in southern Gaza. It must be protected. Humanitarian access must be allowed. Hospitals must be protected so they can perform their life-saving function. They must not be militarized or attacked.
He added that there are only 11 hospitals that are partially operating (5 in the north, 6 in the south), 3 are operating slightly, and 22 are not operating. All hospitals are short of supplies.
At Gaza European Hospital, our team met a 7-year-old girl in need of medical evacuation. She suffered from 75% burns, and was unable to obtain painkillers due to the lack of morphine and analgesics in the hospital.
In Al-Aqsa Hospital, 20-30% of patients were unable to leave because they had no safe place to go. Health workers also told our team that many patients underwent unnecessary amputations as they might not be referred for specialized surgeries outside Gaza. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 1,500 amputations have been performed in Gaza since the beginning of the war.
He stressed that there is a need for organized, safe and sustainable transportation of patients to Egypt and perhaps to other locations across Egypt. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 8,000 people need medical referrals out of Gaza – 6,000 of them related to war injuries and 2,000 related to other medical conditions. Since the beginning of the war, only 1,243 patients have been transferred out of Gaza (798 wounded and 445 sick), in addition to 1,025 companions.
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