Situation in Gaza miserable, health system on brink of collapse: Palestinian envoy

New Delhi: The Palestinian Ambassador to India, Abdullah M Abu Shawesh, on Friday termed the situation in Gaza “miserable” with the healthcare system on the brink of collapse and over 11,000 surgeries having been postponed.

In an interview with IANS, Shawesh also highlighted the crucial role being played by India in supporting the Palestinians.

When asked about the situation in Gaza, he said, “It’s in a miserable situation… The most densely populated area in the world, 365 square kilometres containing 2.3 million human beings… 70 per cent of it is already ethnically cleansed… Their declared goal is to expel the Palestinians, ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people from Gaza. Their declared goal is to completely destroy it.”

“There is a very significant report issued by the United Nations, which talks about the Palestinian childhood having been completely destroyed. This is what happened in Gaza. This is, of course, the tip of the iceberg… For the third year in a row, the Palestinian children did not go to schools and out of them, two years continuously, they did not attend any single day of schooling,” he added.

The Palestinian Ambassador expressed confidence that India will provide medical assistance to Gaza as the healthcare system there is about to collapse. He spoke about the shortage of life-saving medicines in Gaza and mentioned that some people need to be evacuated from Gaza for treatment.

“When it comes to the current situation of the health system, it’s on the brink of collapsing. 11,000 surgeries have been postponed. The vast majority of life-saving medicines and tablets are short of supply… Thousands of our people in Gaza who have endured life-changing injuries are in a desperate need to be evacuated for medical treatment. Yet Israel is not allowing them to do so,” he said.

The Ambassador mentioned that Indians are coming forward to support the Palestinians with regards to the health sector. He particularly mentioned that the Indian government recently continued its yearly pledge to finance the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which is dealing with the Palestinian refugees.

“Of course, the Indian government is playing a crucial role in supporting the Palestinian people. Just a few days ago, they renewed their yearly pledge to finance the UNRWA, the United Nations entity that is dealing with the Palestinian refugees. Indian people also reach out to us especially when it comes to the health sector… A lot of promises have been made to help when it comes to medicine and other health issues.”

IANS