Health facilities operated by UNRWA in Gaza are on the brink of exhausting at least 60 essential medications by the end of the month if Israel continues to block health supplies from entering the Strip. The medications at risk of running out include treatments for chronic diseases, mental health disorders, antimicrobial and antiparasitic drugs, and anti-inflammatory medications. This shortage threatens to further devastate a healthcare system already crippled by a year of Israeli attacks.
The shortage of medical supplies is worsening the risk of infections and complications from generally treatable conditions. Some health units run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have already been forced to turn patients away due to a lack of materials. “In the burn units we support in the Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis, even basic wound care supplies like gauze and bandages are running out,” said MSF’s Caroline Seguin. “This forces our teams to extend the intervals between dressing changes, increasing the risk of infections for patients who need proper care.”
The blockade has also severely affected diagnostic and testing capabilities. According to UNRWA, their health facilities can now only perform three test procedures, compared to 35 prior to October 2023, due to the destruction and depletion of supplies. At Nasser Hospital, MSF attempted to establish a bacteriology lab necessary for determining appropriate treatments. However, they were recently forced to abandon the effort “because the cold chain required to operate it is repeatedly disrupted and damaged by Israeli officers at the crossing point,” MSF reported.
Read more: Children in Gaza face health crisis and hunger amid continued Israeli attacks
People with disabilities, the elderly, children, and pregnant women remain among those most drastically affected by the destruction of health services. Recent reports have once again highlighted the specific impact of Israeli attacks on maternal health. Dr. Areej Hijazi, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Gaza, described some of the cases she has encountered over the past year, noting a rise in cases of diabetes and hypertension among pregnant women, as well as increased incidences of miscarriages, uterine ruptures, and postpartum depression. These conditions are occurring alongside documented reports of Israel using banned weapons in Gaza, raising alarms about the long-term health consequences for generations of children who will grow up in the aftermath of Israel’s genocidal war.
The spread of infections and the worsening of non-communicable conditions are not the only threats to maternal health. According to Dr. Hijazi, many pregnant women avoid going to hospitals out of fear that the buildings may come under siege or bombardment. “In many cases, women who need to undergo a cesarean section are refusing to stay in the hospital even overnight because hospitals and their surroundings have been repeatedly targeted by Israeli aggression,” she wrote in an article for Mondoweiss.
All hospitals in Gaza that haven’t been destroyed by the Israeli army continue to face the threat of attacks. Most recently, Kamal Adwan Hospital, Al-Awda Hospital, and the Indonesian Hospital, along with several civil protection and non-governmental health points, reported attacks on their premises and vehicles. These assaults are not confined to Gaza: hospitals in the occupied West Bank have also been targeted by Israeli armed forces.
Watch: End to the occupation needed to fulfil right to health in Palestine
The Turkish Hospital in Tubas, West Bank, was stormed by Israeli soldiers on Tuesday, December 3. The raid was reportedly conducted in an attempt to abduct a Palestinian injured in an earlier attack that day and to seize the bodies of two martyrs. Reports from the ground state that the assault lasted about an hour, during which patients and staff were subjected to physical threats, live ammunition, and destruction. Hospital director Dr. Mohammad Samara and emergency care head Dr. Mahmoud Ghannam were handcuffed and threatened by the soldiers but refused to comply with demands to hand over the bodies. The attack left several shattered windows in the reception and emergency departments, and witnesses in shock.
Amid ongoing attacks and shortages, worsening weather conditions and hunger in Gaza are increasing the risk of further deaths and more disease. According to international health volunteers and workers, the only solution remains an immediate ceasefire backed by the urgent delivery of essential supplies to Palestine.
People’s Health Dispatch is a fortnightly bulletin published by the People’s Health Movement and Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and subscriptions to People’s Health Dispatch, click here.
