As Gaza’s hospitals teeter on the brink of collapse under the relentless strain of war, U.S. medical groups are urgently mobilizing to provide critical assistance. Dr. Mohammed Ghneim, an emergency room doctor at Dar Al-Shifa, the largest medical complex in Gaza, shares a grim account of the dire conditions. Stretched to the limits, Shifa is grappling with shortages of clean water, medicine, supplies, and fuel, with thousands seeking refuge from ongoing airstrikes.
Israeli forces, according to Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, director-general of the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza, have surrounded Shifa, posing a severe threat to those inside. An Israeli airstrike targeting the hospital’s generator has exacerbated the crisis, leaving life-saving equipment for neonatal care without power, resulting in the tragic deaths of three infants.
The Israeli military denies claims of besieging the hospital, citing “ongoing intense fighting” against Hamas. However, medical professionals at Shifa and the militant group refute allegations of using hospitals as cover.
The scenes of desperation inside Shifa and other hospitals in Gaza have spurred international calls for a ceasefire and increased aid access. U.S. nonprofit medical groups are taking action to raise funds and send vital medical supplies to the beleaguered hospitals.
In Houston, Mosab Nasser, CEO of the nonprofit medical group FAJR Scientific and a Gaza native, is tirelessly working to raise awareness and funds. FAJR Scientific aims to fill five 40-foot containers with medical supplies and ship them to Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian-American Medical Association (PAMA) has raised over $2 million to purchase critical medicines and supplies.
Despite these efforts, access to Gaza remains restricted, with only a fraction of the aid needed making its way through the Rafah border crossing. International organizations emphasize the urgency of addressing the growing humanitarian crisis and the need for more aid to meet the escalating demands.
Ahmad Muhanna, director of Al Awda Hospital in Jabalya, shares the harrowing experience of treating maimed children without adequate resources. Medical facilities are in constant danger, with Israeli airstrikes near hospitals complicating efforts to provide care.
As the conflict rages on, the death toll rises, and hospitals face unprecedented challenges. With no ceasefire in sight and borders tightly controlled, medical professionals on the ground express their frustration and helplessness, pleading for international intervention to alleviate the suffering.
U.S. medical groups, such as FAJR Scientific and PAMA, scramble to overcome logistical barriers, emphasizing the critical need for immediate action. The situation remains grim, leaving doctors and aid organizations anxiously awaiting a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.