Severe Fuel Shortage and Medical Crisis in Gaza as Health Services Collapse

The Director of Medical Relief in the northern Gaza Strip, Mohammed Abu A'fsh, reported that health services have been severely affected by an ongoing fuel shortage since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza. In a statement on Thursday, Abu A'fsh explained that no medical supply trucks have entered Gaza for three months, worsening the crisis.

"We cannot open major operating rooms because there is no anesthesia or the necessary surgical tools. Currently, doctors are only providing first aid," he stated.

He further emphasized the dire situation for patients with chronic illnesses, saying, "Cancer patients, kidney failure patients, and those with thalassemia require specific medications that are unavailable in the Gaza Strip." As the shortage of resources continues, Abu A'fsh explained that doctors are now being forced to prioritize care, making decisions based on the severity of the condition, even though every patient should receive necessary treatment.

Medical Relief has urgently called on the Red Cross and international organizations to evacuate the wounded from Gaza and provide life-saving surgeries. Gaza’s medical sector has been suffering from a shortage of medicines and supplies even before the ongoing war, a result of the Israeli blockade imposed on the region since 2006. With the escalation of the conflict, Israel has further tightened the siege on Gaza, preventing the entry of essential fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid. In addition, repeated attacks on hospitals and healthcare infrastructure have led to the destruction of key medical facilities across the Strip.

Source : Safa News