Visual credit: Fatima Shbair — AP Pic
Article written by Tom Chazelle Schulze — Journalist
For more than a year, the Gaza region and its population have suffered attacks daily perpetrated by the Israeli army. This cycle of violence is generating not only an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, but also a deterioration of health conditions and the collapse of a local health system. The risks of epidemics warned by the World Health Organization (WHO) several years ago month have now become a reality.
A hospital system in ruins and alarming health deterioration
According to a rapport of the WHO dated September 12, only 17 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza region are operational, some being partially operational. This report also warned of a risk of epidemics due to the deterioration of health conditions in the Palestinian enclave.
Attacks targeting Gaza’s infrastructure complicate access to drinking water and worsen the management of piling up waste, which encourages the spread of diseases. According to an article published by BBCthe dense population living in refugee camps on the Mediterranean coast runs an additional risk of epidemics: the destruction of the wastewater treatment system means that this water is discharged directly into the sea.
According to Karameh Hawash-Kummerle, doctor and co-founder of Doctors Against Genocide (DAY), all hospitals in the Gaza region were attacked. The latter speaks of “medicide,” which she defines as a genocide of the medical community or health system. Deprived of clean water, antiseptic products and medicines, local doctors cannot wash their hands between consultations with their patients, increasing the risk of cross-contamination. Thus, hospitals report a significant number of cases of infections attributable to a lack of hygiene.
According to Hawash-Kummerle, due to limited access to medicines and vaccines, many Gazan children contracted polio, a disease that has been eradicated in most countries. After many efforts, WHO managed to vaccinate half a million of children against the virus. However, the vaccine administered orally represents a risk in itself, because it is less effective and poses a higher risk of infection, according to the expert.
Furthermore, Gaza is facing an epidemic of hepatitis A with nearly 40,000 cases reported, according to a rapport of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Long-term consequences
Hawash-Kummerle, a specialist in neurology, warns that the repercussions of the current crises will be felt for a long time, both physically and mentally.
On the one hand, the lack of access to medicines in the hospital system and the absence of doctors on site to administer care aggravate the suffering of patients. Hawash-Kummerle explains, for example, that autistic children are sometimes tied up. are outside tents due to lack of available care. Added to this are people with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer, who are deprived of life-saving treatments.
On the other hand, the mental health of the population is seriously affected. According to the expert, seeing daily atrocities, from bombings to murders, creates stress far more intense than post-traumatic stress disorder. Hawash-Kummerle is concerned about future generations of Gaza’s population, for whom she fears generational trauma.
Faced with this, DAG is fighting to put an end to violence and to protect the health system with its campaign Not Another Child Not Another Hospitalwhich calls for a permanent ceasefire. For Dr. Nidal Jboor, co-founder of DAG, calling for an end to hostilities does not constitute a political issue, but a medical emergency, because only full access to humanitarian aid would make it possible to address the root causes of the health crisis.
A student perspective
A member ofIntegrity not Spite Against Falastin (INSAF) from the University of Ottawa, who wishes to remain anonymous, mentions that the situation in Gaza has always been marked by oppressive control of the population. They indicate that in addition to the difficulties linked to access to drinking water or healthcare, women are disproportionately affected by the health crisis, because they have to face additional challenges, such as managing menstruation or childbirth in unsanitary conditions.
Experiencing constant worry for his distant family in Gaza, he reports that due to forced displacement that has persisted for decades, it has become difficult to maintain a clear connection with his loved ones. Despite everything, this person insists on the unity of the Palestinian population, which, regardless of family ties, sticks together. This is also partly what motivates his activist commitment. They believe that everyone, Palestinian or not, has their role to play.
In the hope that“One day, Palestine will be liberated and Palestinians can live in dignity and return to their homes,” this person remains determined to continue to educate themselves and to advocate for Palestinian justice.
