November 17, 2024
Mpox in the DRC: A Persistent Epidemic, Doctors of the World Stays Committed
Doctors of the World is struggling to meet the escalating humanitarian needs of the civilians trapped in Gaza. Continuous bombardments, raids and the blockade of crucial aid has left Gazans on the brink of despair.
The direct death toll is climbing rapidly with 39,363 Gazan lives claimed by the conflict. However, researchers state that this number is likely a fraction of the reality, as it focuses solely on the lives claimed through bombing and shootings. The Lancet estimates that the actual toll could be as high as 186,000 or even higher due to the “destroyed health-care infrastructure; severe shortages of food, water, and shelter; the population’s inability to flee to safe places; and the loss of funding to UNRWA, one of the very few humanitarian organizations still active in the Gaza Strip”.
Israel’s occupation of Gaza has seen systemic attacks on critical infrastructure. 31 out of 36 hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. Only 16 hospitals are partially functional as of August 2024. Before October 7, there were 107 primary health care centers in Gaza, now that number has been reduced to 48. Furthermore, 500 healthcare staff have been killed in the war.
Lack of healthcare and access to life-saving medical care has had a serious impact on Gaza. With Israel impeding aid from Gaza, it is estimated that around 350,000 people in Gaza have chronic diseases and lack almost all medication to treat them. Issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and other chronic illnesses can become deadly quickly.
Living conditions in Gaza are further deteriorating. 83% of Gaza is subject to so-called “evacuation orders” or designated as “no-go zones” by Israeli forces. This means that Israel expects Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians to seek shelter in only 17% of the strip (OCHA). Areas that are deemed ‘protected’ or ‘safe’ still face bombardment, including several UN schools that were used to shelter displaced people. The latest attack took place on August 10, where more than 100 Palestinian civilians were killed, during an Israeli strike on a UN school that acted as a shelter, including children, women and the elderly.
Nutrition and hygiene are also having a crucial impact on Gazans. Almost half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have experienced a 94% reduction in water availability as compared to pre-October (Oxfam). On 26 July, Israeli soldiers bombed the main source of drinking water in Rafah – the “Tal Sultan Water Reservoir”, in southern Gaza Strip.
All these factors are further compounded by Israel’ humanitarian access constraints in Gaza that continue to impede aid delivery. This is caused by the Israeli blockade since October 9, 2023, resulting in insufficient aid, fuel shortages, and infrastructure deterioration. Border closures and movement restrictions further hinder aid delivery, while the breakdown of public order and safety due to ongoing attacks and governance collapse increases looting risks, making aid distribution extremely challenging.
International aid workers also come under heavy fire by Israels forces. In just four days during 21 – 24 July, UNICEF and UNRWA both came under fire. On 21 July, Israeli forces shot at a clearly marked UN convoy attempting to access Gaza City. The convoy had been coordinated and approved by the Israeli authorities (UNRWA). On 23 July, two clearly marked UNICEF convoys were hit by live fire as they waited at a designated holding point in Wadi Gaza (UNICEF). Since October 2023, some 278 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in Gaza (OCHA). The UN states that Gaza is the world’s deadliest place for aid workers.
Doctors of the World Response
Doctors of the World (DotW) is currently focusing on the implementation of the emergency response in the Gaza Strip and relies on well-trained and experienced teams composed by managers, support and technical staff – medical and Mental Health Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) professionals – to ensure the quality implementation of its programs.
We currently have a team of 50 people inside Gaza, themselves exposed to the violence of the bombings, the lack of water and food, and the fears for the lives of their loved ones and their own.
Following the multiple forced displacements to so-called “safe” areas, our teams had to adapt quickly and set up clinics in makeshift shelters in a matter of days. Three are currently operational: the clinics in Sawarha, Al Durra and Al Baher.
Our teams carry out around 300 consultations per day in each clinic . They are confronted with multiple pathologies due to living in close proximity in unsanitary conditions, the constant state of anxiety and alert and the disruptions in care imposed by the blockade, the destruction of health structures and forced displacement.
Among the people encountered in our clinics, 23% have acute respiratory diseases, 13.5% gastrointestinal diseases and 10% skin diseases. By mid-June, 90 cases of malnutrition had already been identified, a situation that continues to worsen, and 4 post-abortion care provided.
Al Baher clinic staff receive many emergency cases who have no access to secondary care.
We will remain mobilized as long as necessary to provide care to those in need, to bear witness and denounce the horror and inhumanity of what the people of Gaza have been suffering for months. Since October, we have been calling on states and decision-makers who have the power to do so to put pressure on Israel to obtain a ceasefire. It is a matter of life and death for thousands of women, men and children.
Sources
Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential – The Lancet
Many of Gaza’s Medical Workers Have Been Detained or Killed – The New York Times.
Gaza Is World’s Deadliest Place for Aid Workers, UN Says – The New York Times.
Photographs
MdM Suisse