How will the residents of the Gaza Strip receive the winter?

ArabiaWeather - Concerns are increasing about the deepening effects of the difficult winter climate on the residents of the Gaza Strip, due to the worsening siege they are suffering from, and the deteriorating conditions due to many hospitals being out of service, in addition to the power outage and lack of fuel supplies.

How will the residents of the Gaza Strip receive the winter?

With the beginning of winter and the accompanying drop in temperatures, Arab and international organizations warned of a humanitarian catastrophe threatening the lives of Palestinians trapped inside the Gaza Strip, more than a month and a half after the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle, and the siege and bombing launched by the occupation forces on the Strip.

Concerns are increasing about the worsening effects of harsh climate conditions, as a result of the shortage of equipment and the worsening siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, in addition to the outage of many hospitals and medical centers targeted by the occupation, in addition to the power outage and lack of fuel supplies.

After the announcement and start of a temporary truce in the Gaza Strip between the resistance and the occupation army, humanitarian and international organizations hope that the aid provided will at least contribute to improving conditions for the displaced. However, many Gazans describe the situation as catastrophic and tragic, as there are no relief centers capable of meeting their real needs.

A humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip due to fuel shortages

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, had previously warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip due to fuel shortages, saying in a press statement that “marketing humanitarian agencies for fuel is unacceptable.”

The UN official pointed out that fuel stores in the Strip had run out as a result of the occupation's use of them as a weapon of war, stressing that "the humanitarian efforts in Gaza are about to end, and many will suffer, with the possibility of many people dying."

In this context, Dr. Mohamed Allam, a vascular surgeon at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool (England), explains, “The human body faces a constant challenge to maintain optimal internal conditions, whether temperatures are high or low.”

He added to TRT Arabic, “When a person is exposed to cold, the blood becomes thicker, which may lead to the formation of clots, and clotting can cause many health problems depending on the affected organ, and the chances of heart attacks and strokes increase in the days following cold weather conditions.” ".

The doctor explains that this is not the only limit, but the cold also affects the body’s ability to fight infection, and he adds: “For this reason, in the weeks following cold weather conditions, we witness an increase in deaths as a result of body infections, such as pneumonia, and respiratory problems can develop.” Coughing leads to more serious problems.

Allam believes that “although many believe that the health risks associated with the cold are limited to low body temperature, the truth is that many people die due to heart and lung problems as a result of cold weather.”

Allam cites the death of thousands annually in the United Kingdom due to cold weather as an example, stressing that it is one of the developed countries. He asks: “What will the situation be like for tens of thousands of displaced people living in the open in Gaza?”

He concludes by saying: “There are also other problems that worsen during exposure to cold weather, especially for people who do not find shelter, as exposure to extreme cold causes severe collapse of peripheral blood vessels, which may lead to gangrene and loss of limbs.”

The Gaza Strip is going through a real tragedy in light of the current conditions

Dr. Ihab Abu Zeid, a member of the Fatah Central Committee in the Gaza Strip, confirms that the Strip is going through a real tragedy in light of the current conditions.

Abu Zeid says, "The entire world does not realize the extent of the tragedy that the residents of the Gaza Strip are experiencing, where there is no fuel, no electricity, and not even potable water."

He points out that "the necessities of life itself have run out, as people are forced to stand in queues in the morning to obtain a little food, water and clothes to protect themselves from the low temperatures, and at night they are exposed to bombing and are forced to take refuge in the open."

Abu Zeid adds, "The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming more complex, especially in shelter centers where tens of thousands of displaced people live in extremely harsh conditions, in addition to running out of fuel and difficulty obtaining heating sources."

He continues to say: "We must imagine the difficult situation faced by displaced children and their families who sleep on the ground in schools and shelter centers without any means of protection, and thousands of them are forced to sleep in the open."

Refugees in the Gaza Strip suffer from chronic diseases

Many refugees suffer from chronic diseases, and their body risks increase when they are exposed to low temperatures, and young children are particularly exposed to the consequences of winter.

Abu Zeid explains, "There are hundreds of cases of pneumonia among displaced children, and with the occupation army targeting hospitals and medical centers, the possibility of these children dying without receiving the necessary treatment increases."

The Palestinian Red Crescent Organization stated, in an official statement, that dozens of hospitals and medical centers within the governorates of the Gaza Strip were out of service due to running out of fuel and power outages, in addition to being targeted by Israeli occupation army warplanes, which prevents the provision of the necessary medical care to anyone exposed to health complications. Because of winter.

The Palestinian Red Crescent held the international community and all countries that signed the Fourth Geneva Convention responsible for the complete collapse of the health system and what it described as the humanitarian catastrophe threatening the Strip.

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health warned of the complete collapse of the medical system inside the Gaza Strip, due to the lack of fuel and electricity outages, and the withdrawal of dozens of hospitals from service.

The Ministry indicated in a press statement that the Israeli occupation army, during its incursion into the buildings of the Shifa Complex, deliberately caused sabotage to the radiology machines and many medical devices in the specialized surgical building.

Source: trtarabi