GENEVA: The president of the Red Cross on Friday called war-hit Gaza ‘hell on earth,’ warning the hospitals in the Palestinian territory will run out of medical supplies within two weeks
“We are now finding ourselves in a situation that I have to describe as hell on earth …People don’t have access to water, electricity, food, in many parts,” Mirjana Spoljaric said.
No new humanitarian aid has entered the Palestinian enclave since Israel halted the entry of aid trucks on March 2, following a breakdown in truce negotiations. Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18.
Spoljaric said that humanitarian supplies are now critically low.
“For six weeks, nothing has come in, so we will, in a couple of weeks’ time, run out of supplies that we need to keep the hospital going,” she said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that supplies of antibiotics and blood bags are rapidly running out. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, speaking to reporters in Geneva via video link from Jerusalem, said that only 22 of the 36 hospitals in the enclave remain minimally functional.
The president of the Red Cross also voiced concern over the safety of ongoing humanitarian operations.
“It is extremely dangerous for the population to move, but it’s especially also dangerous for us to operate,” Spoljaric said.
He called for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave in order to release the remaining Israeli hostages to address grave humanitarian issues in Gaza.
Gaza death surges to 50,900
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the latest Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed at least 26 more Palestinians, bringing the death toll in its genocidal war since October 2023 to 50,912.
A ministry statement said another 106 wounded were taken to hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of injured in the Israeli onslaught to 115,981.
