The rate of attacks per month on healthcare in Gaza surpasses that of any recent conflict globally, averaging 73 attacks monthly since the onset of the war, according to Save the Children’s new analysis.
Between October 7, 2023, and early April 2024, Gaza witnessed at least 435 attacks on health facilities or personnel, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This alarming figure exceeds the monthly attack rates in all other war-torn countries since 2018.
EXPANDING SCOPE OF ATTACKS: IMPACT BEYOND GAZA
The assault on healthcare in the occupied Palestinian territory extends beyond Gaza, with 421 reported attacks in the occupied West Bank in the same period. These attacks include obstructions to health access and the use of force within health facilities.
DEFINING ATTACKS ON HEALTHCARE
The WHO defines an attack on healthcare as any instance of violence against or obstruction of health services during emergencies, encompassing psychological threats and intimidation of patients and workers.
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN SHAMBLES: GAZA’S DIRE SITUATION
Six months of relentless bombardment, siege, and aid obstruction have decimated Gaza’s health system. Only 11 out of 36 hospitals are partially functioning, leaving around 350,000 people with chronic diseases unable to access essential medicines and services.
SAVE THE CHILDREN’S RESPONSE: A BEACON OF HOPE
Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit is actively aiding affected children through a field hospital in Rafah, providing primary healthcare to over 200 individuals daily, 40% of whom are children.
VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE: NURSES SHARE HEARTBREAKING STORIES
Paediatric nurse Becky Platt describes the harrowing reality faced by children in Gaza, from severe injuries to psychological distress due to inadequate pain relief and long-term trauma. We’ve recently seen an influx of children from other hospitals with wounds and lost limbs, often needing skin grafting and multiple operations, but even getting hold of simple things like strong pain relief is a major challenge. When children have to undergo a procedure to save their limb and avoid infection, we are forced to do it with less pain relief than we’d normally use. So, I brought bubbles and games on my phone to distract them, but the reality is that a lot of these procedures need strong pain relief. That is causing huge distress, and it will also add to long term psychological damage.”
She added:
“We treated a 10-year-old boy who had some shrapnel in his thigh that had shattered his femur. He lost a lot of muscle and tissue, so he needed skin grafting and also had an external fixator on the leg. He had multiple operations, but he was so distressed by the way his leg looked that he couldn’t even look at it. He was doing this silent crying that was heartbreaking. But this is a standard story. Children are psychologically destroyed by everything that’s happened.”
Malnutrition and dehydration have claimed the lives of at least 28 children in Gaza. Dr. Simon Struthers reports a surge in paediatric cases, including acute respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, exacerbated by overcrowded living conditions and lack of sanitation.
CHALLENGES AMIDST CHAOS: ACCESSING HEALTHCARE
Israeli forces’ attacks on ambulances, aid convoys, and hospitals, coupled with denied or delayed missions by WHO, hinder access to healthcare services. Security concerns further exacerbate the challenges faced by healthcare workers.
Xavier Joubert, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, condemns the relentless attacks on healthcare and calls for unimpeded access to essential services for Palestinian children.
Since 1953, Save the Children has been providing vital support to Palestinian children affected by conflict. With operations ongoing in the occupied Palestinian territory, Save the Children remains dedicated to alleviating the suffering of vulnerable children in Gaza.
