Gaza Hospital Warns of Life-Threatening Shortages Amid Ongoing Israeli Blockade
DayofPal— The director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah issued an urgent warning over critical shortages of essential medicines and food supplies for patients, as Gaza endures a crippling Israeli blockade that has now lasted for more than two months.
Suhaib Al-Hams, the hospital's director, described the humanitarian situation as dire, with the healthcare sector nearing collapse due to a lack of medical resources.
'We confirm that the sector suffers from acute shortages in more than 75% of essential medicines, a large part of which constitute life-saving medications, which is directly threatening the lives of the vast majority of patients,' Al-Hams said in a statement on Saturday.
He further warned that the hospital's ability to continue providing medical care is 'at stake,' citing that current medical stockpiles would not last beyond one week.
'The ability to continue providing medical services is at stake, as the available stock of medicines and medical supplies is currently insufficient for more than one week,' he said.
Al-Hams appealed to the international community for immediate intervention, urging the reopening of border crossings to allow the entry of medical and humanitarian aid. He also stressed the need to evacuate critically ill patients.
He called on 'all concerned parties to move immediately' to facilitate the entry of aid and added that the crossings must urgently open 'to evacuate patients who are slowly dying every day without treatment.'
Since March 2, Israel has kept Gaza's main crossings closed, halting the delivery of food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies.
Human rights organizations have also condemned the blockade, accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians.
The humanitarian crisis deepened further after Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18, breaking a ceasefire agreement reached in January.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the renewed offensive has killed more than 2,200 people and wounded over 5,700 others, most of them women and children.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe, stating that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of 'full-scale famine conditions.'
On Friday, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said the ongoing Israeli siege is collectively punishing the population.
'The Israeli siege is collectively punishing children, women, older people and men in Gaza,' he said.
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