As a result of Israel’s bombing rampage, the two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are suffering a dire humanitarian crisis. As World Health Organization (WHO) Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in yesterday’s press conference in Geneva, the bombings violate international humanitarian law, which demands that hospitals, clinics, schools, and healthcare infrastructure be protected. Instead, more than 18 hospitals have been completely or partially destroyed, healthcare professionals killed, COVID testing and vaccinations halted, and people herded into crowded shelters which facilitate transmission of disease. Doctors Without Borders reported that its clinic in Gaza, a trauma- and burn-treatment center, had been damaged by bombings, leaving its sterilization room unusable. Offices of the Red Crescent organization, a global humanitarian entity which works with the International Red Cross, were also severely damaged by bombings yesterday
Because of damage to its building, Gaza’s al-Rimal clinic, the only central laboratory able to perform immunizations, virus screenings, and telemedicine services, has ceased operations. So far, the New York Times reported today, only 1.9% of Gaza’s population have been vaccinated—compared to 60% in Israel. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza as well as the regional WHO representative warn that violence could fuel a surge in the pandemic. This situation, Dr. Tedros warned, “creates a health risk for the world as a whole.”
