Gaza Hospitals Struggle with 18 Closed, 40,000 Orphans, 3,000 Aid Trucks Await Entry Amid Blockade

The healthcare system in Gaza is facing a critical crisis due to the ongoing blockade and conflict. The Director of Field Hospitals in Gaza, Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, reported that wounded patients are dying from severe shortages of medical supplies and medicines. Two kidney failure patients recently died at Nasser Medical Complex due to lack of resources.

The Director General of Gaza's Health Ministry stated that 18 out of 38 hospitals are completely out of service, with only 20 functioning partially. The blockade has exacerbated the deteriorating conditions, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. Over 40,000 children in Gaza have become orphans, and approximately 100 children died while waiting for border crossings to open. Nearly one million children are deprived of life-saving aid. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has about 3,000 trucks of humanitarian aid ready to enter Gaza, but these supplies remain stalled due to the closure of crossings and the Israeli blockade. UNRWA and other officials have called on Israel to lift the siege and allow urgent humanitarian assistance in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Gaza Health Ministry also reported that more than 360 healthcare workers have been detained, and the blockade is causing severe shortages of food and water, contributing to what officials describe as a man-made crisis with devastating impacts on the population.