Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
After 300 days of ongoing aggression in Gaza and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation on the ground, healthcare workers in Gaza are "living a nightmare without any respite", Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said on Thursday.
The Israeli military's actions since October have displaced approximately 1.9 million Palestinians - 90 percent of Gaza's population - forcing over 1.7 million people into an area of just 48 square kilometres.
This has created an alarming population density of over 35,000 people per square kilometre, comparable to five times that of London, MAP said in a statement.
Gaza is going through a "public health catastrophe", MAP lamented, with over 1.8 million cases of communicable diseases recorded and looming fears of a potential polio outbreak.
In an effort to respond to the health needs of the population, healthcare workers have been working for 300 days without rest, the NGO said.
However, the few partially functioning hospitals in the enclave are overwhelmed and unable to handle a rapidly growing influx of injured patients.
"The huge volume of patients coming in and the severity of the injuries are unbelievable and beyond our ability to treat. Simple cases pass away in your arms because there is no space or no basic medical supplies," said Dr Mohammed Mohsen, an intensive care unit doctor at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza’s Middle Area, according to MAP's statement.
"We are extremely exhausted and burnt out. We are overwhelmed and we need a break – a real break – to cry," he added.
According to MAP, more than 500 healthcare workers have been killed since the conflict began, a toll higher than all conflicts in 2021 and 2022 combined. Many continue to work without pay, proper food, or adequate water, under constant threat.
Rohan Talbot, MAP's Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, called for immediate international intervention.
“The international community must not abandon Gaza's healthcare workers. Humanitarian aid and international healthcare workers need safe, unrestricted access to provide much-needed support,” Talbot said. He urged governments, including the UK, to cease arms transfers to Israel and to work towards a permanent ceasefire.
“Any delay will be measured not in days, but in Palestinian lives.”
A MAP aid worker who recently returned from Gaza described the situation as one of "compounded horrors", with residents bearing the brunt.
"There are things in Gaza that quickly become normal to experience, that are in no way normal at all. I’ve never seen so many compounding horrors as I’ve seen in Gaza. It’s not just poor living conditions, it’s also the constant threat to life, the repeated forced displacement, the constant siege, and the list goes on. People are trying to survive in places that have been totally decimated by the Israeli military," the statement said.
