Maintaining health services at hospitals in the Gaza Strip has become even more difficult after about 70% of generators were taken out of service because of shortages of fuel, oil and spare parts.
Zaher al-Wahidi, director of the Health Ministry’s Health Information Center, said at a press conference held at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City that shortages of fuel and oil could force critical and life-saving departments to stop operating at any moment.
Shortages of basic supplies at health facilities are worsening
Al-Wahidi rejected Israel’s statements that it was facilitating the entry of medical aid and logistical supplies into Gaza. He said the amount of supplies permitted to enter was very small and did not even meet the minimum operating needs of health facilities.
Al-Wahidi said Gaza’s health system was being pushed toward a serious collapse, adding that hospitals were becoming increasingly isolated because of the comprehensive blockade and restrictions on the entry of basic necessities.
Fuel crisis restricts health workers’ travel
Al-Wahidi said public transportation companies and buses had completely or largely suspended their services, adding that the fuel crisis was preventing hundreds of health workers from reaching their workplaces. He said this had further isolated health facilities and weakened their capacity to respond to emergencies.
Al-Wahidi also said an unprecedented shortage of medicines and medical supplies was being experienced and that diagnostic equipment was not functioning. He said routes for patients and wounded people waiting to travel abroad for treatment had also been closed.
Urgent call for international intervention
Al-Wahidi called on the international community, the United Nations Security Council, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to take urgent action to allow basic medical and operating supplies to enter Gaza.
A statement from the Health Ministry said that about 74,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 174,000 wounded since the attacks began on October 8, 2023. It also said that about 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure had been destroyed.
