As the Conflict in Gaza escalates, hospitals throughout the region confront an unsettling crisis: they are dangerously close to running out of generator fuel.
The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) issued a grim warning, noting that fuel stocks in these hospitals are estimated to last for around 24 hours.
Patients’ lives are jeopardized as generator fuel runs out.
The lack of generator fuel in Gaza’s hospitals is more than just a logistical issue; it’s a matter of life and death.
According to OCHA, if the backup generators fail, hundreds of patients will be left in desperate need of crucial medical care.
Children and adults with severe injuries are among these patients, and their survival is dependent on the availability of continuous electricity.
Gaza is on the verge of collapse
This calamity comes on top of Gaza’s already poor humanitarian situation.
The seaside enclave has been under siege for years, with terrible shortages of food, potable water, and basic safety. The situation is compounded further by the approaching danger of an Israeli ground operation in response to a lethal Hamas attack.
The Israeli military is stockpiling forces around Gaza’s border, with the help of a rising deployment of US warships in the region, in preparation for a significant effort to demolish the militant group.
The most lethal of conflicts
Both parties have already paid a high price for the protracted confrontation. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 2,670 Palestinians have been killed and 9,600 have been injured since the war began, according to the Associated Press.
As a result, it is the bloodiest of the five Gaza wars for both Palestinians and Israelis. On the Israeli side, nearly 1,400 people have died, mostly civilians, making this the worst war since the War with Egypt and Syria in 1973. starsoffline.com
International efforts to defuse the crisis are underway during this rising confrontation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has returned to Israel following a hurried tour of Arab countries aimed at preventing the crisis from escalating into a larger regional confrontation.
President Joe Biden is also expected to visit, though specific plans have yet to be finalized.
Expansion beyond Gaza
The escalation is not confined to Gaza. The conflict has escalated along Israel’s border with Lebanon, with Hezbollah terrorists launching rockets and anti-tank missiles and Israel responding with airstrikes and shelling. This escalation has caused casualties on both sides and threatens to destabilize the region further.
Hospital shortages are critical
Critical care institutions, such as Nasser Hospital, are swamped with critically injured patients, many of whom are children.
The magnitude of the problem is demonstrated by Shifa Hospital in Gaza City’s decision to bury 100 victims in a mass grave due to the morgue’s overflow. Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the hospital area in search of protection.
A depleted region
Due to water and medical supply shortages imposed by the Israeli siege, Gaza was already facing a humanitarian crisis.
Water supplies are running low, and the region is facing a historic disaster. The UN and other humanitarian organizations are striving to assist the swelling number of displaced persons and those taking sanctuary in schools and facilities around Gaza.
The United States is working to broker a deal to reopen Egypt’s Rafah crossing with Gaza to allow foreign nationals to leave and deliver humanitarian aid. However, the crossing, closed due to airstrikes early in the war, has yet to reopen. Israel has linked the lifting of the siege to the return of captives.