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Aid worker reveals horror in Gaza hospital: ‘No food, injured kids sleeping on the floor’

There were “injured people everywhere” at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Abu Fares, 53, a volunteer with the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, has said

Updated on: Dec 21, 2023, 08:50:18 IST
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An aid worker has claimed that he saw “injured kids sleeping on the hospital floor” at a medical facility in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. There were “injured people everywhere” at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Abu Fares, 53, a volunteer with the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, told NBC News.

A medic carries an injured Palestinian child into the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 (Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg) (Bloomberg)
A medic carries an injured Palestinian child into the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 (Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg) (Bloomberg)

“I saw injured kids sleeping on the hospital floor," he said. He also claimed there is no food in the facility. "Even if you have money, it doesn't matter," he said.

Flour that may be available in some markets could be 100 times more expensive than usual. "We are not on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. We are in a crisis," Fares said.

‘Toxic mix of disease, hunger and lack of hygiene and sanitation’

The World Health Organization’s head has claimed that there is a "toxic mix of disease, hunger and lack of hygiene and sanitation" faced by people in the Gaza Strip. “Hunger weakens the body’s defenses and opens the door to disease,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

He added, “Gaza is already experiencing soaring rates of infectious disease outbreaks. Diarrhoea cases among children aged under 5 are 25 times what they were before the conflict. Such illnesses can be lethal for malnourished children, more so in the absence of functioning health services. We need a ceasefire now.”

66% of employment lost in Gaza and the West Bank

At least 66% of employment has been lost in Gaza and the West Bank following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the U.N. agency the International Labour Organization has said. “The repercussions on the lives and livelihoods of affected communities are beyond anything seen in the Occupied Palestinian Territory before," ILO regional director for Arab states Ruba Jaradat said in a statement, as per NBC News. Jaradat added that the impact has “grave cascading implications” on the West Bank too.

Meanwhile, it has been reported by Hamas' government media office that an estimated 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the Hamas-Israel conflict began after the October 7 attack. Among them are 8,000 children and more than 6,000 women. About 6,700 people reportedly remain missing.

  • Sumanti Sen
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    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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