Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
Scott Anderson, Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in the Gaza Strip, said that during his visit to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis on Sunday, he witnessed one of the most horrific scenes he had seen in Gaza during the past nine months. He stated that many of the injured were receiving treatment on the hospital floor without disinfectants, in light of the lack of sufficient beds, hygiene equipment, and other necessary supplies.
The series of air strikes launched by Israeli forces in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday led to the death of dozens, the wounding of about 300 people, and the loss of many traces under the rubble, according to reports.
Scott Anderson, who also holds the position of Deputy United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, pointed out that Nasser Hospital is under enormous burdens, and said that he saw young children with amputees, others paralyzed and deprived of the possibility of receiving medical treatment, and others separated from their families.
He also saw mothers and fathers who did not know if their children were alive. “Parents told me in desperation that they had moved to the ‘so-called humanitarian zone’ in the hope that their children would be safe there,” he said.
He stressed that his colleagues from the humanitarian community are doing everything in their power to strengthen medical capabilities in Gaza, as the health system has been in a deplorable state for a long time. He said that the United Nations team yesterday provided referral services and more tents, beds, stretchers, consumables and medicines. But he stated that the obstacles hindering humanitarian operations prevent the provision of support to people to the extent required.
Scott Anderson stressed the need to protect civilians at all times, the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, the opportunity for the people of Gaza to catch their breath, and the creation of the necessary conditions to begin the recovery phase.