Gaza: humanitarian situation and SRC aid

The situation is also very difficult in the West Bank, where the population is facing severe repression, and acts of violence are a daily occurrence. Under these circumstances, the Palestinian Red Crescent provides essential medical care with support from the SRC.

The situation in Gaza remains extremely fragile, despite the ceasefire announced last October. Roughly two million people are still displaced, living in tents or ruined buildings, in appalling conditions. The waste collection and water treatment systems are mostly out of service. Hygiene conditions are extremely precarious and infectious diseases are widespread. Access to drinking water is difficult throughout the Gaza Strip.

Healthcare facilities and essential health services are still under extreme pressure. Access to healthcare and medicines remains very limited. Thousands of patients ought to be treated abroad; however, medical evacuations from Gaza are often delayed or refused.

The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since the start of this year. Countless checkpoints, physical barriers and the rise in violence perpetrated by settlers are hindering access to healthcare and essential services, while causing even more displacement, especially in rural areas and among the most vulnerable people. The economic situation in the West Bank is catastrophic and the population is facing a future with a serious lack of prospects.

Every day, there is an urgent need for humanitarian relief in Gaza. This aid enables injured, sick or displaced persons to access treatment or primary healthcare. When there is a lack of healthcare facilities, medicines or supplies, every bit of support can make all the difference.

This aid relies on local teams that continue their work despite exhaustion and extreme insecurity. The Palestinian Red Crescent’s support for the population is unwavering.

The SRC helps the Palestinian Red Crescent to keep vital health facilities in operation and prevent the complete collapse of the care system, in both Gaza and the West Bank, despite the extreme conditions.

This includes:

• Keeping ambulances running, with repairs and maintenance

• Supplying medicines, medical supplies and fuel

• Keeping healthcare centres in operation

• Technical support

This enables sick and injured patients to be transported to the few structures still in operation so that they can receive vital treatment.

As long as the situation remains critical, the SRC will continue to focus on urgent care and on supporting healthcare facilities and services for the civilian population.

The Palestinian Red Crescent plays a vital role, as the crisis has shut down most of the public healthcare system. It runs hospitals, mobile clinics and an emergency service, and remains one of the few organizations with direct access to the population.

Since the conflict escalated in 2023, its teams have been providing vital medical aid under extremely dangerous conditions. They deal with emergencies, transport the injured, provide support for those healthcare facilities that are still operational, and psychosocial counselling for those severely affected by the war. In Gaza and the West Bank, the emergency services occupy more than 600 staff and volunteers, with about 150 ambulances.

In Gaza, aid is not only dependent on available resources. It also needs medical teams to keep moving, ambulances to be stocked and repaired, and healthcare facilities that are still in operation to be fully supplied. Without this, even the most essential services cannot be maintained.

The SRC therefore emphasizes the importance of facilitating humanitarian aid shipments, especially medical supplies, ensuring close cooperation between the partners in the Movement, and guaranteeing that humanitarian principles are respected. Under such unstable conditions, ensuring aid services can continue to operate is vital for the civilian population.