Gaza Health Ministry issues warning about an impending hospital crisis due to a shortage of fuel and medical supplies
The Health Ministry in Gaza has issued a warning that medical facilities in the conflict-ridden region are on the verge of shutting down due to a critical fuel scarcity for generators and a significant shortage of medical supplies, both of which are a result of stringent import limitations imposed by Israel.
Munir al-Bursh, the director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, stated that over 60% of essential medications are presently unavailable in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Al-Bursh emphasized that fuel reserves for hospitals in Gaza City and the northern region will only last for the next 48 hours, highlighting that the severe shortage of fuel and medical supplies greatly hinders efforts to aid the injured during the ongoing conflict.
He criticized Israel for deliberately depriving civilians of food, noting that fuel shipments to northern Gaza have been obstructed for the fourth day in a row.
He also pointed out that Israeli forces have hindered the transport of vaccines through the Netzarim corridor into northern Gaza, emphasizing the challenges of vaccinating children amidst ongoing violence and the absence of a safe, healthy environment.
On Sunday evening, the health ministry reported the arrival of 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine and began vaccinating over 600,000 children under 10 years old. This action follows the first confirmed polio case in the region in 25 years.
Nevertheless, humanitarian organizations have emphasized that various elements, such as the continuous airstrikes on Gaza, may obstruct the campaign’s advancement, as a minimum seven-day ceasefire is essential to guarantee successful immunization.
For 25 years, Palestine remained free of polio, but the disease has reappeared due to the breakdown of sanitation systems in Gaza.
The virus’s transmission has been exacerbated by extreme overcrowding in al-Mawasi, a “humanitarian zone” established by the Israeli military, where the population density hits an astonishing 30,000 people per square kilometer, with numerous residents residing in tents.
The alert is issued amidst the Gaza conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 40,400 Palestinians since October 7. Patients are evacuating from al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, the primary healthcare facility for central Gaza, thereby exacerbating the strain on the region’s overtaxed medical system.
On Sunday night, the Health Ministry announced that the area around the hospital has been designated as a military zone. This declaration caused widespread panic and led many to evacuate the facility, which currently houses 100 patients, including seven in the intensive care unit.
Despite the circumstances, the ministry affirmed that the medical center is still functioning and that healthcare staff have returned to their posts at the facility, calling for its safeguarding.
According to the World Health Organization, out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, only 16 are operating to some extent.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised concerns that the continuous Israeli military operations and frequent “evacuation orders” are obstructing the provision of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip.
