Feb 24, 2024 at 8:02 PM Update: 25 minutes ago
The Dutch Red Cross physiotherapist Guido Versloot is currently working in the Gaza Strip. At the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, he sees with his own eyes every day the damage caused by the Israeli bombings. “All emotions seem magnified here.”
You have been working in the middle of a war zone since the beginning of January. Are you often afraid?
“It is very strange, but despite all the violence around me – of which I also see the consequences in the hospital – I have not been afraid for a moment.”
“For some reason I’m afraid of many things, but not of the violence of war. It either affects me or it doesn’t affect me. Every time I hear shots or an explosion again, I think: I survived this, so here I have to go.” I no longer have to be afraid of it. If you are afraid, this work cannot be done.”
Can you sleep at night?
“The first nights I was here, I could hardly do that. There was too much noise from explosions and shots as well as from the large numbers of people living around the hospital. But at a certain point you get tired enough and now I sleep through almost everything. Every now and then I still wake up if an explosion was very loud, but then I usually turn over and continue sleeping.”
What is it like to live and work there?
“A very bizarre situation. The continuous sound of violence around you, the overcrowded hospital in which we work and live, the amount you can do for people, with a minimum of resources and the continuous rollercoaster of emotions you go through.”
“It seems as if all emotions are magnified in such situations. From enormous satisfaction when something – sometimes very small – goes well, to deep misery when it does not work out. This applies not only to work, but also to the rest of us life here. In addition, what is going on here is world news. You cannot open an internet page without it being about this conflict.”
How dire is the situation?
“I don’t leave the hospital grounds, so I cannot assess the situation ‘outside’. The hospital grounds itself has turned into a refugee camp. In the hospital, all rooms and corridors are occupied by people and the outside area is full of ‘tents’. “
“To my surprise, everything remains relatively clear and pleasant, despite the fact that there are thousands of people on top of each other. However, tensions have increased considerably since I have been here. Not only due to the lack of everything, but also due to uncertainty about the course of this conflict.”
Can you give an example of that?
“Since there is little food left to buy, we eat the same as the people in the camp. In the beginning it was quite varied, but now it is rarely more than rice with a few beans or lentils. For example, meat is no longer available at all. to pay.”
Do you have sufficient resources?
“At the moment, we still have enough resources to maintain basic care. We are doing as economically as possible, since we do not know when supplies can be replenished. We therefore continue to hope that something will arrive again soon.”
What do people need most?
“Safety, medicine, food and drink are really urgently needed. But what we people hear most about is the uncertainty about what will happen and how long this will last.”
“People are clearly tired of fleeing, sleeping poorly, worrying, thinking about missing people, the lack of food and drink, you name it. That can be maintained if you knew when the misery was over, but no one can answer that. What we can do is be there until the misery is over and beyond.”
Do you also receive (mental) support?
“The most important mental support we have is from each other. We are in the same boat with a team of approximately fifteen people, so if someone is having a hard time, there is always someone you can fall back on. If this is not the case, are enough, the Red Cross has a psychologist available 24/7 who can be called. At least if a call can be made, that is often difficult at the moment.”
“Other mental support comes from the people around us. In general, they are very grateful that we are there and they show that. This always gives a mental boost.”
2024-02-24 19:02:36
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