The situation in the embattled Gaza Strip is dire. As a result of the ongoing conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian forces, the people in the Gaza Strip are suffering the utmost suffering. The worst of the suffering is the incredible strain on the medical facilities and the risk posed to the health and safety of the people of Gaza.
The situation has become so dire that US medical groups are working tirelessly to provide urgently needed aid. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees is organizing convoys of medical supplies and other urgently needed assistance into the region. Other humanitarian organizations are similarly delivering much-needed help.
Despite these efforts, the hospitals in the Gaza Strip are beginning to fail under the pressure of war. Without a full armistice, it may become impossible for medical facilities in Gaza to recover. It is essential for an urgent cease-fire to be reached between the warring sides.
The hospitals in Gaza lack the equipment they desperately need — from medical supplies to diagnostics and imaging. The situation is compounded by the fact that many medical staff and health professionals have been killed or injured in the conflict. This has resulted in a severe scarcity of skilled medical personnel and equipment.
The World Health Organization has warned that the situation is critical. In a statement released earlier this month, the WHO pointed out that the “intensified armed conflict and ongoing closure of crossing points continue to impede the delivery of medical supplies to hospitals in the Gaza Strip”.
Furthermore, the Palestinian Ministry of Health estimates that the loss of access to medical care in the besieged Gaza Strip is costing the lives of 11 people per day. And without urgent assistance, the medical facilities in Gaza could be completely overwhelmed, leading to an even higher death toll.
It is time for the international community to take action. War is a tragedy, but it is preventable. By working together, world leaders must come together and broker a cease-fire in order to save the lives of the people of Gaza. Only through peace can the lives lost in this terrible conflict be saved.