Médecins du Monde Greece is stepping up its calls for immediate humanitarian aid in Gaza and a ceasefire, by sending a basic Health Care Kit through the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge (EU-HAB).
The Greek humanitarian aid in Gaza arrived at El Arish airport in Egypt, under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU. The cargo includes a fully equipped reception and basic patient care unit.
Moreover, Médecins du Monde is participating in the effort by donating a Health Care Kit, worth an estimated €23,000, which is intended to cover the needs of 10,000 people for three months. This donation towards the World Health Organization’s Emergency Medical Team in the region (WHO EMT oPt) will contribute to the operation of a temporary Health Facility for the civilian population.
GAZA STRIP
A rapid and horrific destruction is taking place in the Gaza Strip, with violent deaths and injuries of civilians, massive displacement of people, and a concentration of overpopulation in unsuitable living conditions. The local health system in the area is dysfunctional and unable to respond to the increased health needs during the war. According to the most recent WHO figures, 21 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are out of operation and the rest are understaffed, facing significant shortages. Inadequate sanitary conditions and the absence of clean and safe drinking water have led the health system to collapse with residents facing an imminent risk of epidemic outbreaks.
At the same time by the end of 2023, according to UN information, 1.9 million people, almost 85% of Gaza’s total population, are estimated to be internally displaced, including some who have been displaced multiple times, as families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.
We cannot talk about safety anywhere
Almost 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are housed in 155 UN-managed facilities. Rafah district is now the main area where IDPs are taking refuge, with more than one million people living in overcrowded conditions in an overcrowded area, following the intensification of hostilities in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah after evacuation orders.
On 2 January, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reiterated that there is no safe space in Gaza. “We cannot talk about safety anywhere. People are sleeping in the streets, in open space. Some of them could not even follow the evacuation orders.”
SPREAD OF DISEASES
The spread of diseases in Gaza has reportedly intensified, in particular due to recent mass movements throughout southern Gaza. This situation is adding pressure to an already overburdened health system, which is struggling to meet the huge needs and health problems of people affected by the war.
According to UNOCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territory, a total of 23,385 people are estimated to have lost their lives up to 3 January, while the number of injured is 62,466. In particular, 22,185 Palestinians and over 1,200 Israelis have lost their lives and more than 65,000 homes and housing units have been completely destroyed.
The situation in the Gaza Strip remains unmanageable, with violence having intensified since the end of the seven-day ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas.
According to the WHO, the population of the Gaza Strip is at “great risk”, as WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, calling on the international community “to take urgent action to reduce the grave danger to the people of Gaza and undermine the ability of aid agencies to assist a population suffering from horrific trauma, acute hunger and severe disease risk”.
Also, the president of MdM-Greece, Chara Tziouvaras said: “We call for an immediate ceasefire. Civilians, women, children, all those suffering from the war, must be protected and their unhindered access to humanitarian aid in Gaza must be ensured.”