Doctors Without Borders: The situation in Gaza is "worse than catastrophic"

Mohammed Abu Mghaisib, assistant coordinator for medical affairs at Médecins Sans Frontières, pointed out that the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip is worse than can be described as 'catastrophic.' He confirmed that the siege and the genocidal crimes committed by the occupying state for the past 22 months have led to a near-total collapse of the health system in the region.

Abu Mghaisib explained that the Israeli army is targeting hospitals and the health system, resulting in most hospitals being out of service. He emphasized that the health situation is worsening with the Israeli army's plan to reoccupy the city of Gaza, putting the lives of patients and the injured at risk.

Abu Mghaisib spoke about a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, as the Israeli closure of the crossings since last March has prevented humanitarian aid from entering. He confirmed that health facilities have witnessed widespread destruction, and there is no health system at all in Gaza.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that hospital occupancy rates have reached 300 percent, reflecting the scale of the health and humanitarian disaster. Abu Mghaisib explained that patients are sleeping on the floor due to the lack of beds, and many surgeries are not being performed due to a lack of resources.

Regarding humanitarian aid, Abu Mghaisib stated that only a few trucks have entered the region recently, but they were insufficient. He confirmed that the food situation in Gaza is worsening, with no food or medicine available, leading to severe famine.

Abu Mghaisib pointed out that the children who are dying of hunger in Gaza could be alive if basic food supplies were available. He confirmed that famine has been confirmed in the Gaza governorate, and it is expected to spread to other areas.

Abu Mghaisib discussed the distribution of aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, noting that it has only established 4 distribution points compared to the 400 points managed by the United Nations. He considered the method of aid distribution to resemble scenes from horror movies.

Regarding the Israeli plan to reoccupy Gaza, Abu Mghaisib said that the Israeli army currently controls 75 percent of the region, creating severe overcrowding. He confirmed that the occupation would be a real madness, as there is no place that can accommodate two million people.

Abu Mghaisib clarified that the situation in Gaza requires urgent intervention from the international community to stop the aggression. He confirmed that people here are living under immense pressure and do not know where to go.

Finally, Abu Mghaisib pointed out that the genocide being committed by the occupying state with American support ignores international calls, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom are children and women.