The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reiterates its urgent call for the respect and protection of medical facilities in line with international humanitarian law. This protection is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative to preserve human life. This protection is a legal obligation and a moral imperative to preserve human life.
Hospitals are a lifeline for those wounded or sick in conflict. Al-Awda Hospital – previously supported by the ICRC with supplies – is now absorbing more pressure as one of the few functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza. The Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals are now completely inoperable. For months, these medical facilities have struggled to provide care for patients as ongoing hostilities have damaged hospitals and endangered or harmed staff, patients, and civilians.
No patient can expect their medical needs to be fully met today. The influx of patients, caregivers, and displaced civilians seeking shelter creates a situation that medical personnel cannot solve. The increasingly dangerous situation comes in addition to more than a year of insufficient provision of medical equipment and supplies, fuel, food, and specialized healthcare capacities.
The ICRC remains committed to supporting healthcare services wherever possible, which includes doing what we can to ensure the protection of the medical responders and civilian access to health care, as well as facilitating movements of medical personnel and equipment.
Source : Icrc
