One year after the start of hostilities, the situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, and the figures speak for themselves: almost 44,000 people have lost their lives, around 120 every day. Of these, 41,802 were in Gaza, with more than 9,600 injured. The tragedy does not end there: more than 80% of the Gazan population has been displaced, and more than 1,000 attacks have targeted health facilities.
The West Bank, which has also been affected, is experiencing an intensification of violence.
A recent bombardment of a refugee camp claimed the lives of 18 people, bringing the total number of deaths in the West Bank to 741 since the start of the conflict, with over 6,000 injured. The already fragile population continues to face daily anguish and suffering.
A priority for Mehad: strengthening our action on the ground
During a previous mission, we set up 12 training sessions for local medical staff, with an average of ten participants per session, reinforcing their skills in emergency care. This training enables patients to be treated effectively. For Mehad, access to training and local capacity-building are the key to success if we are to continue our fight to rehabilitate the healthcare system.
At the beginning of October, Dr Pierre Catoire, emergency doctor and medical coordinator for Mehad, travelled once again to Ramallah to draw up an updated diagnosis of the health and humanitarian needs of the affected populations and to set up partnerships with local health players in order to strengthen our actions.
By establishing such partnerships, Mehad aims to act quickly and effectively to respond to emergencies on the ground.
