Crisis Unfolds: Fuel Shortages Worsen in Gaza, Threatening Hospital Services
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, the devastating impact of the conflict has escalated with fuel shortages crippling healthcare services. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, has been struggling to operate without power, forcing doctors to rely on mobile phone torches for medical rounds.
For patients like Ayman Zaqout, the situation has become increasingly dire. He fought his way to the hospital, braving Israeli strikes and evacuation orders, only to be told that he would be treated in the dark. “There was no electricity and I don’t know how they will be able to treat me in these circumstances,” Zaqout said, grimacing in pain from renal colic.
Doctor Mahmoud Abu Amsha explained that the hospital has been unable to admit new patients since the fuel shortage worsened, citing a lack of resources and international aid. The consequences of this crisis are dire: “Children in the incubators are threatened with cardiac arrest and death, and there are also seven cases in the intensive care unit, and they will die due to the fuel shortage,” he warned.
The war in Gaza has entered its eleventh month, with Palestinian militants seizing 251 hostages and killing 1,199 people, mostly civilians. In response, Israel’s military campaign has killed 40,265 Palestinians, including civilians and militants. The United Nations Human Rights Office reports that the majority of the dead are women and children.
As Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, nearly all of whom have been displaced at least once, continue to suffer, medical facilities are under strain. Kamal Adwan Hospital can rely on solar energy to respond to major emergencies, but this is not sufficient for patients with complex medical needs.
Al-Awda Hospital, also in northern Gaza, has been forced to scale back its services due to fuel shortages. “We’ve had to close some services and postpone operations,” said hospital acting director Mohammed Salha. “This puts the sick and wounded at risk.”
In a desperate bid to maintain medical care, Al-Awda has been receiving fuel donations from other hospitals, allowing them to provide a minimum service. However, the long-term consequences of the crisis remain dire, as the fragile healthcare infrastructure in Gaza teeters on the brink of collapse.
