British surgeon highlights severe injury cases in Gaza
Victoria Rose, a British reconstructive plastic surgeon who was operating in and out of Gaza until September 4, says injuries on people inside the besieged enclave become more severe due to the lack of treatment and doctors.
“We cannot get enough doctors into Gaza. Only 25 people are allowed in twice a week,” Rose said, noting that only two of them are surgeons.
While their work is often associated with cosmetics, plastic surgeons deal with all major traumas that require reconstruction, from open fractures of limbs and penetrating injuries from bomb blasts to burning injuries, making their practice greatly needed in war zones.
“If only two surgeons got in that week, you can imagine how little help is getting to the people. On top of that, we cannot extract those patients who can’t be given the healthcare they need in Gaza. We can’t even get them out into another part of Palestine. And that’s what we need to concentrate on. That is not legal,” Rose said.
Civilians are left waiting for months to treat injuries that should be dealt with within 48 to 72 hours or risk infection, which in turn can progress into injury up to the point of requiring amputation, she said.
Gaza civilians brace for winter
As winter approaches, life for civilians in Gaza is becoming harder. The tents they have used to shelter are not strong enough to withstand repeated displacements and may not be fit to cope with the season’s rains.
“Since our house was destroyed, we haven’t found a place to call home. We fled to Rafah in southern Gaza, hoping this tent would shelter us,” Mohammad al-Jarousha, who fled with his family from northern Gaza to the south, told Wafa news agency. “However, it has been worn out from constant use. Still, there are no alternatives.”
Civilians across the enclave are exhausted after having fled multiple times as Israeli forces continue to pound locations across Gaza, including designated safe areas. “The tents can’t withstand much more. Every night, the winds threaten our fragile shelter, and the blockade stops any aid that might ease our suffering,” he added.
Rain and cold add to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, making tents uninhabitable
Civilians across Gaza live in makeshift tents scattered across the besieged territory. On top of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, lack of food and constant Israeli bombardments, they are now anxiously fearing more cold and rain.
“Rainwater has flooded the tents, making them uninhabitable, and most residents have lost their belongings. People are enduring extremely harsh conditions that put their lives and health at risk,” Samar Mahmoud, a volunteer doctor working in Gaza, told Wafa news agency.
Children and elderly people are the most exposed, Mahmoud said, warning that the lack of food and a critical shortage of medicine could cause fatalities to increase.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s findings, one year into the war, the risk of famine persists across the Strip.
More than 1.8 million people across Gaza are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including nearly 133,000 facing catastrophic food insecurity, according to a UNRWA report.
“Acute malnutrition is 10 times higher than it was before the war,” it added.
