Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has initiated the discharge of patients from a field hospital in Rafah as they brace for a potential evacuation. The medical team lead in Gaza, Aurélie Godard, stated that patients who are able to walk are being released from the Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital.
Godard expressed concerns about the inadequacy of alternative health facilities outside the evacuation zone to cater to the medical needs of patients. She highlighted that the existing field hospitals and structures would struggle to handle an influx of wounded patients alongside regular medical requirements like deliveries and chronic diseases.
The statement issued by MSF cautioned that an offensive on Rafah could have catastrophic consequences for the more than one million residents in the area. It emphasized that the living conditions in Gaza are already extremely fragile and would deteriorate further if people are displaced and forced to live in makeshift tents with limited access to essentials such as water.
MSF further warned that a potential Israeli offensive in the region would exacerbate the already strained health infrastructure in Gaza. The organization noted that delivering medical and humanitarian aid under such circumstances is immensely challenging.
