GAZA, Palestine (KAAB TV) – The already fragile health-care system in Gaza faces intensified challenges as a convoy of seven vehicles from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivering crucial medical supplies to health facilities came under fire on Tuesday.
The incident unfolded as the convoy, en route to Al Quds hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, was hit, resulting in damage to two trucks and leaving a driver lightly wounded.
Despite the serious security challenges faced on the road, including the direct impact on one of their vehicles and an injured driver, the ICRC managed to deliver the majority of assistance to Al Shifa, one of the major hospitals in Gaza.
However, the perilous conditions have hampered humanitarian efforts, raising concerns about meeting the urgent needs of the civilian population.
William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza, expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “These are not conditions under which humanitarians can work and meet the urgently required needs of the civilian population.”
ICRC’s chief surgeon, Tom Potokar, currently working in the European Gaza Hospital, shed light on the dire medical circumstances.
“In the last week, I’ve had to tell a father that his child has non-survivable burn injuries. We’ve had to treat young patients pulled out of the rubble after 48 hours,” Potokar revealed.
He further emphasized the critical shortage of medical supplies, stating, “We are really running out of things now, dressings particularly for the burns. We are running out of anaesthetic and analgesic drugs.
The staff, both ourselves and the local staff here are getting very worn out. The living conditions are very basic. There’s not much food. … But of course, it’s nothing compared to what the people here in Gaza are suffering at this moment.”
As the health-care crisis deepens in Gaza, the attack on the humanitarian convoy underscores the immense challenges faced by organizations attempting to provide vital medical aid in the midst of conflict.