By Luis De Jesus
Apr 29, 2024, 11:54 PM EDT
The health system in the Gaza Strip faces a total collapse after more than 200 days of war with Israel, with more than 34,400 dead and serious shortages of medical and health resources. The situation is worsened by the shortage of drinking water, overcrowding and lack of medicines, which causes an increase in deaths from easily treatable diseases.
Mari Carmen Viñoles, head of the Emergency Unit of Doctors Without Borders, warned about the critical conditions in the overflowing hospitals in Gaza.
In a report titled Silent Deaths, The organization reveals the devastating impact of the conflict on the civilian population, with fatal cases of pneumonia and the closure of kidney dialysis units in attacked hospitals, the EFE agency published.
“How many children have already died of pneumonia in overflowing hospitals? And the deadly consequences of the closure of kidney dialysis units in the attacked hospitals? “These are the silent deaths in Gaza that are not reported,” Viñoles questioned.
The text describes a desperate situation in Rafah, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are struggling to survive. The shortage of drinking water and the deterioration of sanitary conditions are generating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Doctors Without Borders noted that it has attended thousands of weekly medical consultations, with a high percentage of patients with respiratory infections.
There has also been a worrying increase in suspected cases of hepatitis A and children under 5 years of age with acute malnutrition. Health care capacity is compromised by the paralysis of key hospitals such as Al Shifa Hospital and Naser Hospital, due to the Israeli siege.
According to data from the UN and the Gaza government, only a fraction of hospitals in Gaza are operational, and most water wells are out of service. Attacks on health facilities and personnel are frequent, with more than 435 attacks recorded in six months, according to Save the Children and the World Health Organization.
Sylvain Groulx, Emergency Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, made an urgent call for a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid to prevent more deaths in the strip. He said that without immediate and meaningful measures, the crisis in Gaza will continue to claim innocent lives.
“Without an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the influx of significant humanitarian aid, we will continue to see more people die,” Groulx lamented.
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