Gaza crisis escalates as doctor loses nine children, according to UN Humanitarian Chief's dire warning.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) secretary general Chris Lockyear has spoken out about the devastating impact of recent conflicts in Gaza, including the death of a pediatrician's nine children in an Israeli airstrike and the ongoing struggles to provide healthcare in the region.
On Friday, airstrikes in southern Gaza left the family of pediatrician Alaa al Najjar in tragedy. Al Najjar's nine children, aged from seven months to 12 years old, were killed, while her husband was severely wounded and her son, aged 11, remains in a critical condition.
Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Lockyear described the bodies of the children arriving at the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis while Al Najjar was on shift. He added that the children were "charcoaled" and the hospital, one of the few remaining in Gaza, had been hit by three airstrikes in the last two months.
Lockyear also highlighted the difficulties in providing humanitarian services in Gaza, stating that the complexities and impossibility of doing so in the current situation are almost insurmountable.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has taken a heavy toll on the healthcare system. Hospitals have been repeatedly targeted, and four major hospitals have been forced to suspend services due to the proximity of hostilities and attacks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all but 19 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed.
In a 24-hour period, the bodies of 79 people killed by Israeli strikes were taken to hospitals in Gaza. However, access to healthcare remains limited, with many essential medical supplies in short supply and fuel shortages making water desalination and distribution difficult.
Israel has allowed around 300 aid trucks through since lifting an 11-week blockade, but MSF and the UN have criticized this as insufficient, with only a third of the trucks being transported to warehouses within Gaza due to insecurity.
The uncle of the nine children killed, Ali al Najjar, was involved in trying to save them. Speaking to reporters, he described the children as charred and unidentifiable.
MSF and the WHO have expressed concerns about the weaponization of humanitarian assistance and the intentional manipulation of aid, further complicating the already dire situation in Gaza. The ongoing conflict, forced displacements, and limited access to aid are exacerbating the already difficult circumstances, leaving many in need of critical medical and humanitarian support.
The ongoing war and conflicts in Gaza, specifically the incident where a pediatrician's nine children were tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike, are causing significant distress in the region. Political discussions and general news reports highlight the devastation war-and-conflicts are inflicting on the already fragile healthcare system, making it near impossible for organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to provide adequate humanitarian services.
