Palestine Red Crescent Society Gaza Situation Updates

 30-12-2008

PRCS is still at its highest level of alert in the oPt since the beginning of the Israeli military operation on 27 December 2008. A total number of 364 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in heavy Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip. Emergency services are reporting at least 1700 people wounded.

Since midnight, the Israeli army conducted at least 56 air strikes on different targets in the Gaza Strip, including houses, mosques, and even medial teams. Three Palestinians were killed and 50 others were injured including 6 medical personnel in an air strike while they were conducting their humanitarian duty.

Hospital operating rooms are overflowing, and are running out of essential medicines. In an official statement from the main hospital in Gaza Strip, staff said that they are understaffed and unable to handle the heavy load of injuries. Hospitals are being overwhelmed with patients and are running out of space and supplies. The Gaza Strip hospitals have suffered from severe shortages of supplies over the past 18 months blockade and are not equipped to receive mass casualties.

The 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. The current prognosis is that the crisis will 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 200 PRCS volunteers, 60 medics and 120 medical staff have been actively involved in providing emergency care in the Gaza Strip. According to the PRCS EMS stations records, approximately 550 persons including 176 fatalities were transported by the PRCS ambulances.

Over the past two days, PRCS Al-Quds hospital in Gaza city recieved 11 Palestinian fatalities and 190 injuries. In addition, PRCS Al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis received 12 injuries.

PRCS dispatched three ICU ambulances to the Rafah border in order to assist the Ministry of Health in transporting the wounded cases to Egypt.

Access:

Through ICRC, PRCS has successfully sent five ambulances, 120 pallets of medications and medical supplies, 300 blood units, VHF communication spare parts, as well as hospital standby generators to Gaza.

Other challenges:

Due to the heavy Israeli bombardment and air strikes, PRCS had to evacuate some of its installations for safety. Today, PRCS evacuated Khaleel Al Wazeer Primary Health Care center after the Israeli army warned that shelling would take place near the centre.


Urgent needs:
Medical Disposables and surgical kits
Medical First Aid Kits
Inter Agency Health Kits (WHO)
Hygiene and cleaning kits


Donate to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza:

PRCS account number 9090- 652753/513 - Arab Bank - Ramallah Al Balad Branch.