WAR – WEST BANK GAZA

The Gaza Strip is a coastal region bordering Israel and Egypt, has over 2 million residents and faces significant healthcare service gaps and severe medicine shortages. On Saturday 7 October 2023, the Israeli air force has increased bombings and ordered a siege, cutting off food, fuel, electricity, and water.

On March 29, 2024, the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health said that the number of casualties from Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023, had climbed to 32,552 dead, with 74,980 injured. CHARIS supported Caritas Jerusalem with S$431,000, in providing medical care in Gaza, to reinforce the vulnerable healthcare system, which is plagued by restricted access to medical supplies, inadequate financial and technical capacity because of the blockade, anguish among frontline personnel, and decreasing socioeconomic conditions.

This includes activities such as procurement and delivery of drugs, medical disposables, lab supplies and medical equipment, providing primary health and nutrition services to sick children and treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases, management of chronic diseases, especially hypertension and diabetes, health care for elderly people, antenatal care, and other specialties, benefitting more than 23,000 affected individuals.