Our activities in Gaza are very limited. We are not able to currently coordinate our usual level of activities or pre-war projects. This is due to the intensity and unpredictability of the bombing, the inability to get new supplies, the evacuation to the south of our international and some local staff, and ensuring the safety of our Palestinian staff.
While some of our Palestinian colleagues decided to move south, some of our other colleagues decided to remain in northern Gaza and continue to offer their support to the wounded, including in some MSF-supported facilities and in collaboration with local healthcare staff. We have colleagues providing care in Al-Shifa hospital, as well in Al-Nasser hospital in the south. In Al-Awda hospital, a team of seven MSF staff – nurses and doctors – is working in the MSF inpatient department, using the medical supply stock that we had in our warehouse.
We are also supporting local health authorities with donations from our medical stock. On 18 October, we donated US$1 million-worth of medical stock, including medicines and medical equipment, to Al-Shifa hospital.
Our staff outside of the Strip are working hard on preparing medical and humanitarian supplies to be sent to Gaza when safe access will be guaranteed and open. We’ll also consider sending in emergency teams if and when it’s safe to do so.
MSF is committed to supporting the people affected by the heavy Israeli bombardments and indiscriminate attacks on Gaza. We stand in solidarity with healthcare workers and patients in Gaza. We want to be able to access people in need of medical care and offer lifesaving humanitarian services, but to do this we need basic guarantees of safety.
Patients at Al Shifa hospital
MSF Staff At al Shifa Hospital