“While we wait until we can build our clinic, we have decided to work in support of a local independent non-governmental organization that has been working here since 1991 to support the Palestinian population in different areas, from culture and education to social, to health care – explains Stefano Sozza, head of the Emergency mission in Gaza -. Our staff offer primary health care in a field clinic located in the humanitarian area known as al-Mawasi. “
Emergency entered Gaza last August to offer basic health care to the population. Awaiting the disarmament declaration[1] on the Israeli side to build its own structure currently working in the field clinic set up by the local association CFTA within the so-called humanitarian area.
“More than eight hundred patients have already been seen in the first week of operation. On average we visit 160 patients a day – says Giorgio Monti, EMERGENCY medical coordinator at the clinic -. 35% of these are children. Among the most common pathologies we encounter: respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal pathologies, chest diseases and skin pathologies. One in ten patients is malnourished. “
The International Emergency team present in the Strip is made up of six operators: a mission leader, two nurses, two doctors and a logistician who coordinates the activities of the seven colleagues, health care and other, Palestinian workers.
In the meantime, Emergency continues to wait for confirmation of the de-confliction with the Israeli armed forces to build its own main health clinic in the Khan Younis area where it can offer first aid, stabilization of medical-surgical emergencies and transfer to hospital facilities, assistance with basic medical-surgical care for adults and children, outpatient reproductive health activities and post-operative nursing work.
“Since we managed to enter Gaza, we have been working to build and open a clinic to provide basic support to the population, which works 24 hours a day – continues Sozza – . The health needs are huge and the local hospitals that are still working (only 17 facilities out of 36 in the entire Strip are still working to some extent.[2]) cannot handle them all. In addition to not having the necessary staff and medicines, they are often overcrowded because, with a lack of other resources, patients also turn to hospitals for needs that could be treated as inpatients. out. The situation in the Strip is critical and the population is tired: there is a lack of health services, there is a lack of water, food and housing. “
As of August, Israel’s humanitarian territory in al-Mawasi had shrunk from 58.9 square kilometers to about 46 square kilometers. It is currently expanded to 68 square kilometers, which represents 19% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli evacuation orders did not stop: in total, from October 2023 to October 29, 2024, more than 65 evacuation orders were issued, four of which were revoked. Currently, approximately 80 percent of Gaza is under active evacuation orders.[3]
“The same area of al-Mawasi, once a coastal area characterized by the presence of local people and normal daily life, is now a veritable area of refugee camps where displaced people camp in tent cities. Here the people live in difficult conditions with needs that affect all aspects of life. From the health one, to the economic one, to the social one. We still want a ceasefire to guarantee access to humanitarian aid to the Strip – concludes Sozza.”
I said R1PUD1A – Crisis launched the campaign “R1PUD1A” with Crisis which started on November 3rd during the Day of National Unity and the Armed Forces: the society’s volunteers gathered in more than 60 Italian cities to reaffirm the importance and adherence to article 11 of the Italian Constitution: “Italy rejects war as an instrument of crime against the freedom of others and as a means of resolving international disputes”. that war seems inevitable and 56 open conflicts in the world, the Emergency application spreads the message of the Italian Constitution. Individual citizens, schools, theaters, cities can , public and local organizations to join the campaign “R1PUD1A” through the website emergency.it/ripudia
