KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has warned that the number of trucks allowed to deliver aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Oct 21 was insufficient.
Its medical coordinator for Palestine, Guillemette Thomas said the aid provided was inadequate to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis faced by the people who have endured a complete siege and relentless bombings for two weeks.
"Prior to the siege, hundreds of trucks with supplies entered Gaza every day as the Strip is crucially reliant on external aid. Food, water and medicine are still desperately needed.
"It is critical that fuel be allowed into Gaza, as this is essential for lifesaving hospital operations as well as the availability of clean water," she lamented.
She said it was crucial to deliver more aid to Gaza on a regular basis and to ensure a safe passage for aid to reach areas with the greatest needs.
"We are prepared to deliver medical supplies to Gaza when given the opportunity to do so," she added.
Meanwhile, she also expressed deep concern about the collapsing healthcare system in Gaza, with a high number of injured people requiring complex care.
"According to our colleagues working in Al Shifa Hospital, the hospital will soon run out of fuel and consequently electricity.
"This means that all patients in the intensive care unit or connected to ventilators, as well as the babies in incubators, will face the risk of dying due to a lack of electricity.
"The operating theaters will no longer be able to function, and patients will no longer be able to undergo surgery," she stated, adding that the number of patient deaths is expected to increase significantly in the coming hours.
She also mentioned that patients with chronic diseases are no longer receiving any care and are at risk of having their health deteriorating very quickly.
Basic necessities such as food and water are scarce, and this, too, will contribute to an increase in the number of deaths.
"We are extremely worried about other vulnerable groups of people as well," she added.
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