Gaza’s Hospitals Struggle as Food Shortages and Israeli Strikes Wreak Havoc on Health Sector
Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals face the dual challenge of treating a population hit by hunger due to Israel's blockade and war, while health workers themselves battle starvation and exhaustion.
In Gaza's besieged hospitals, medical staff are battling against insurmountable odds.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has decimated the territory's healthcare system, leaving doctors, nurses, and other essential personnel to grapple with the devastating consequences of war while contending with severe malnutrition and hunger.
According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, a physician working in Gaza and deputy medical coordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, the situation is dire: health workers are skipping meals, fainting on the job, and struggling to care for patients in increasingly desperate conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that two out of three famine thresholds have been reached in Gaza.
The WHO also noted that hospitals across the territory are overwhelmed, with 94 percent damaged or destroyed.
Before Israel's current military campaign against Gaza, which began in response to a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, there were 36 hospitals; today, only 18 remain partially operational, and less than 40 percent of primary healthcare facilities are still functioning.
Healthcare workers are not only treating the wounded but also suffering from malnutrition.
Dr. Saeed Salah, medical director of Patient's Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in northern Gaza, described food shortages as the 'greatest crisis' his colleagues and patients have faced.
The main UN agency distributing aid was forced to halt operations due to Israel's blockade, which has led to desperate shortages of medicine and basic supplies.
As the conflict escalates, so too does the scale of suffering within Gaza's hospitals.
According to Arab News sources from medical charities, healthcare workers are treating malnourished families and children, whose conditions have become increasingly dire.
Despite the severity of their own hunger, doctors and nurses continue to provide critical care, often under harrowing circumstances.
To address this crisis, international health professionals have rallied in support of Gaza's beleaguered medical teams.
In a letter expressing solidarity with Palestinian colleagues, over 100 fellow health workers decried the 'forced starvation' perpetrated by Israel and called for an end to attacks on healthcare facilities, the release of detained medical staff, and the lifting of Israel's blockade.
As negotiations for a ceasefire appear elusive and Israeli military operations intensify around Gaza City, the prospects for relief seem uncertain.
Yet, despite these hardships, healthcare workers remain committed to providing crucial care for Palestinians suffering at the hands of ongoing conflict.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has decimated the territory's healthcare system, leaving doctors, nurses, and other essential personnel to grapple with the devastating consequences of war while contending with severe malnutrition and hunger.
According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, a physician working in Gaza and deputy medical coordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, the situation is dire: health workers are skipping meals, fainting on the job, and struggling to care for patients in increasingly desperate conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that two out of three famine thresholds have been reached in Gaza.
The WHO also noted that hospitals across the territory are overwhelmed, with 94 percent damaged or destroyed.
Before Israel's current military campaign against Gaza, which began in response to a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, there were 36 hospitals; today, only 18 remain partially operational, and less than 40 percent of primary healthcare facilities are still functioning.
Healthcare workers are not only treating the wounded but also suffering from malnutrition.
Dr. Saeed Salah, medical director of Patient's Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in northern Gaza, described food shortages as the 'greatest crisis' his colleagues and patients have faced.
The main UN agency distributing aid was forced to halt operations due to Israel's blockade, which has led to desperate shortages of medicine and basic supplies.
As the conflict escalates, so too does the scale of suffering within Gaza's hospitals.
According to Arab News sources from medical charities, healthcare workers are treating malnourished families and children, whose conditions have become increasingly dire.
Despite the severity of their own hunger, doctors and nurses continue to provide critical care, often under harrowing circumstances.
To address this crisis, international health professionals have rallied in support of Gaza's beleaguered medical teams.
In a letter expressing solidarity with Palestinian colleagues, over 100 fellow health workers decried the 'forced starvation' perpetrated by Israel and called for an end to attacks on healthcare facilities, the release of detained medical staff, and the lifting of Israel's blockade.
As negotiations for a ceasefire appear elusive and Israeli military operations intensify around Gaza City, the prospects for relief seem uncertain.
Yet, despite these hardships, healthcare workers remain committed to providing crucial care for Palestinians suffering at the hands of ongoing conflict.
