Gaza Situation Update

At least 280 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in an Israeli aerial bombardment on Gaza Strip. Emergency services are reporting at least 800 people wounded. Hospital Operating Rooms are overflowing, and are running out of essential medicines. They are also understaffed and not able to the load of injuries as the official statement from staff at the main hospital in Gaza Strip said. Hospitals were being overwhelmed with patients and were running out of space and supplies. Gaza Strip hospitals have suffered severe shortages of supplies over past 18 month’s blockade and are not equipped to receive mass casualties.

Red Crescent medical staff in Gaza report wounded people lying in the streets of Gaza City being assisted by passers.

Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip to evacuate injured people. Twenty ambulances have been sent along with medical personnel to the crossing and two Egyptian hospitals emptied to take in the wounded.

Gaza Strip is densely populated. Its 1.5 million residents are already experiencing shortages in medicine, power and basic supplies due to 18-month Israeli blockade.

Current prognosis is for the crisis to continue with increased casualties.

Red Crescent intervention:

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is responsible for the provision of relief and humanitarian services; Ambulance services (EMS), Disaster response, Primary health care and Hospital care.

Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive around 100 PRCS volunteers, 60 medics and 120 medical staff were actively involved to provide emergency care in Gaza Strip.

The activities have focused on evacuation the wounded, provision of first aid and triage, transfer to hospitals, and hospital care at PRCS hospitals in Gaza and Khan Younis (Southern Gaza). PRCS EMS evacuated more than 300 cases to-date

Accesses

Through ICRC, PRCS has unsuccessfully been attempting over the last few months, and intensively over the last week, to send five ambulances, 120 pallets of medications and medical supplies, VHF communication spare parts, as well as hospital standby generators to Gaza.

Urgent needs:

Medical Disposables and surgical kits

Medical First Aid Kits

Inter Agency Health Kits (WHO)

Hygiene and cleaning kits