Crisis in Gaza: Hospitals Under Attack and Evacuation Orders Impacting Medical Facilities

The escalating violence in Gaza has taken a devastating toll on the medical infrastructure in the region, with hospitals and healthcare facilities coming under attack. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a recent incident saw snipers targeting a hospital building and an artillery rocket hitting the fifth floor, trapping 148 staff members and 22 patients and their companions inside.

The situation is dire, with only around one third of Gaza’s hospitals still functioning, leaving critical healthcare facilities inaccessible to those in need. Evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military have further exacerbated the situation, impacting more than 20 medical points, four hospitals, and four primary healthcare centers in the southern city of Rafah alone.

In northern Gaza, 16 medical points and five primary healthcare centers have also been affected, along with Kamal Adwan Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus raised the alarm about the intense hostilities near Kamal Adwan Hospital and the influx of injured patients overwhelming the limited capacity of the facility.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over 900,000 Gazans have been uprooted in the last two weeks, with hundreds of thousands facing dire living conditions. Displaced individuals from Rafah are seeking shelter in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah on any available open land, including access roads and agricultural areas.

The violence has severely disrupted nutrition support services and access to food distribution points, exacerbating concerns about severe acute malnutrition and the spread of communicable diseases. The lack of basic services after months of conflict has left many Gazans in a vulnerable position, with urgent needs for food, shelter, water, and healthcare.

As the violence continues to escalate, humanitarian agencies are working tirelessly to meet the essential needs of civilians in Gaza and ensure their protection under international humanitarian law. The situation remains critical, with no signs of a let-up in the violence that has ravaged the region for months.