Over 60% of essential meds unavailable in Gaza due to Israeli blockade
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Dr. Munir al-Bursh tells Al Mayadeen that hospitals in Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip could shut down within 48 hours if the occupation continues to deny fuel entry.
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An injured Palestinian man awaits evacuation from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah following renewed Israeli threats to leave the area in August 2024. (AFP)
The Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Dr. Munir al-Bursh issued a grave warning on Monday, stating that over 60% of essential medications are unavailable in the Strip due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
In an interview with Al Mayadeen, al-Bursh emphasized that the occupation has also blocked the entry of vaccines through the Netzarim Axis into northern Gaza. He further highlighted the impossibility of administering vaccines to children amid ongoing violence and without a safe, healthy environment.
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Addressing the critical state of Gaza's hospitals, the Dr. warned that hospitals in Gaza City and the northern Strip could shut down within 48 hours if the occupation continues to deny fuel entry. He condemned "Israel’s" deliberate starvation of civilians by blocking fuel supplies to northern Gaza for the fourth consecutive day.
Regarding the situation at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, he noted that medical staff have returned to the facility, despite Israeli threats to target it after declaring it a "military operations zone."
The spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, warned last week that death appears to be the only certainty for the 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza, where "no place is safe" due to ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Wateridge highlighted the unprecedented challenges posed by the spread of diseases and poor sanitation, exacerbated by the Israeli blockade. Even schools, once considered safe havens, are no longer secure. "It feels like you're never more than a few blocks away from the front line now," she added.
Read more: Two million people in Gaza now confined to 15 square miles: WSJ
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has also warned that the ongoing Israeli military attacks and repeated "evacuation orders" continue to impede the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
UN secretary-general's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that including parts of Salah al-Din Road—a vital route for humanitarian missions—in the recent "evacuation order" issued on Saturday for parts of the Deir al-Balah governorate has made it nearly impossible for aid workers to travel along this major road.
