A group of American doctors who volunteered in hospitals in northern Gaza through a World Health Organization-coordinated mission have reported on the dire and catastrophic conditions they witnessed. The doctors spent over a week at Kamal Adwan Hospital, where they described the situation as miserable.
Dr. Farhan Abdelaziz, an emergency medicine physician, highlighted the lack of basic resources such as fuel to run electricity, resulting in patients lying on the floors due to the unavailability of beds. The doctors mentioned that the hospital operates on solar power, further exacerbating the challenges faced by medical staff.
Video footage from the hospital showed doctors performing surgeries on the floor, with a significant number of patients being children. Dr. Abdelaziz was seen comforting a nine-year-old girl in pain, emphasizing the heartbreaking scenes witnessed by the medical team.
Dr. Samer Attar, an orthopedic surgeon, shared the heartbreaking story of a 10-year-old child who died of malnutrition and dehydration in the hospital's ICU. The doctor mentioned that the hospital receives mass casualties daily, with families experiencing unimaginable grief and loss.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 30 Palestinians, including over 20 children, have died of malnutrition in the region. The doctors emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian aid, stressing that the people in Gaza are desperate for basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter.
Dr. Attar expressed the sentiment of the local population, stating that the focus is on survival rather than politics. The residents simply want the war to end and for the international community to provide assistance to alleviate the suffering in the region.
