Gaza Health: Severe shortage of blood units and decline in donation campaigns due to the spread of famine.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza warned on Saturday of a severe shortage of blood units in the hospitals of the sector, amid a decline in donation campaigns due to the spread of malnutrition resulting from Israeli starvation policies, issuing an urgent call for relevant authorities to intervene and bolster blood unit supplies.

The ministry stated in a statement: "Blood banks in hospitals are suffering from a severe and dangerous shortage of blood units and their components."

It continued: "The nature of the serious injuries arriving at hospitals requires additional units of blood to save lives."

It noted that the daily need for blood units and their components exceeds 350 units, pointing out the decline in sources to enhance blood unit supplies and their components, including community donation campaigns due to the spread of famine and malnutrition.

The ministry called on all relevant authorities to urgently intervene to "enhance blood unit supplies and their components in the hospitals of the sector."

Repeatedly, the ministry has issued warnings about the dangers of the acute shortage of blood units on the lives of Palestinian patients and injured individuals, amid escalating Israeli attacks that result in hundreds of injuries requiring blood units.

With the spread of famine, many Palestinians have been unable to donate blood due to malnutrition, as they were the last source for obtaining those units amid the intensification of the Israeli blockade.

In addition to the significant shortage of blood units, the health sector in Gaza is suffering from a severe lack of medicines and medical supplies due to the near-total Israeli closure of crossings since March of last year against relief, humanitarian, and medical aid.

Since October 7, 2023, the occupying state, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.

This genocide has resulted in 64,803 deaths and 164,264 injuries among Palestinians, most of whom are children and women, along with hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, and famine that has claimed the lives of 420 Palestinians, including 145 children, as of Saturday.