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Source: Islamic Relief |
It has now been four days since the attacks on Gaza began. In that time we have all suffered a great deal and yet there seems to be no end in sight. When the bombing started on Saturday I was out visiting a friend. A series of explosions rocked Gaza city. I live in the centre near a number of police buildings which were targeted first. As I rushed home, I saw the main Gaza police station had been destroyed. Suddenly, another missile hit it again and, along with dozens of people nearby, I fled. When I returned home I found almost all the glass from the windows and doors shattered due to the explosions.
Islamic Relief aid workers are working day and night to get essential aid to those who are in need. One of the greatest needs at the moment is for medicine and medical equipment. Even before this latest round of bombings began, hospitals in Gaza were struggling with limited resources. Now they are at breaking point.
The Casualties Keep Coming
I visited the main Al Shifa hospital on the first day of the attacks. In less than half an hour the hospital was full of casualties. There was no space for more, yet the casualties kept coming. At the hospital I saw something I have never seen before – dead bodies outside on the ground. Everyone in Gaza has a relative or a friend who has been killed or injured in these attacks.
The number of injured increases, as the bombardment continues. Hospitals are so overwhelmed that they are now using normal beds for intensive care patients. Everything is desperate. Only 50% of the ambulances are working. If the attacks go on for another week the doctors are going to have to start using old and traditional ways of treating the injured – that means no anaesthetic.
Islamic Relief is working hard to get medical aid to the hospitals that desperately need disposable equipment. We have already delivered five truck loads of medical aid to five hospitals including Al Shifa and we are working to source more aid for the coming days. Unfortunately the need continues to grow.
I have been out with other members of the Islamic Relief emergency team to assess the needs in Gaza. Everywhere we go buildings have been destroyed and the streets are empty. Shops and businesses are closed as people are too terrified to leave their homes. It is very dangerous for aid workers too but our job is to help people and so we must carry on. Now we only ever travel on foot as it is too dangerous to go by car. Before leaving our homes, we have to call the office at least four times at specific points along the route. Once we reach the office we call our families, so that they know we are safe.
Food Shortages
As well as shortages of medical supplies, stocks of food and flour are also running low. Bakeries are only working for an hour or two every day because of fuel shortages, and it is not uncommon to see more than 200 people queuing for bread.
For two years, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been witnessing daily crises over food and fuel shortages and health services in addition to severe poverty. An estimated 1.1million Palestinians in Gaza are now dependent on humanitarian aid. Malnutrition rates are on the rise and unemployment is at an all time high.
Islamic Relief is now focusing on sourcing as much food as possible to keep our warehouses fully stocked. We see that the distribution of food will be a priority over the next few days if the violence continues and aid is unable to enter Gaza. We are buying most of our food from within Gaza as this is beneficial to the local traders and because getting supplies in is extremely difficult.
One of the greatest challenges facing us over the coming days will be how we distribute this food and other emergency supplies in an environment that is increasingly volatile and extremely dangerous. All we know is that we have to find a way to ensure that our aid reaches those who are in desperate need and are relying on our help. All the staff at Islamic Relief understand the risks they face but everyone is determined to do whatever they can to help.
Gaza is Plunged into Darkness
Fuel shortages have been a problem for a while now and I can not imagine that the fuel supplies in Gaza will last much longer. There are now almost continuous power cuts and most nights Gaza is plunged into darkness. The fuel shortages mean that nothing can work. For hospitals that need electricity to provide life-saving medical care, this is no less than a crisis.
There are air raids over Gaza nearly every hour. No one can sleep, and people are stressed and traumatised. The panic caused by the strikes and the shelling from both the sky and the sea has an immense impact on the psychology of Gazan children. Many times parents tell the children that the bombing is the sound of thunder – but Gazan children are not ordinary children –they know bombing when they hear it.
I look at my young niece as she runs to her mother whenever there is an explosion and pray that for her sake and for all the children of Gaza, this nightmare will soon be over. Islamic Relief has been running a project in Gaza for a number of years trying to deal with the psychological trauma suffered by children. The program has taken many steps forward – however the current bombing means that we will have to start all over again. Sadly, I feel the need for counselling will be even greater.
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