Munir al Barsh Israel killed 1 200 Palestinians in northern Gaza in 27 days

Weeks after the end of the war, Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, paints a grim picture of a health system that continues to collapse.

Hospitals are devoid of resources, medicine stocks are nearly depleted, and patients are dying while waiting for treatment.

Al-Barsh notes that the health system is no longer a functioning system. The collapsed walls and operating rooms devoid of equipment reflect the scale of the destruction.

He describes the situation as a “collapsed infrastructure” with a severe shortage of vital supplies.

In his commentary for the “Humanitarian Window from Gaza” segment, he confirms that the shortage of essential medicines has reached 84%, while 40% of emergency medicines have reached zero levels for the first time in the ministry’s history.

Medical supplies are suffering from an unprecedented shortage of 71%.

He adds that gauze is unavailable and various solutions will only last for a month, making it extremely difficult to provide basic care. He also points to the fuel and communication outages and the near-complete shutdown of laboratories.

Al-Barsh points to the limited aid available, noting that only two out of five truckloads reach the Ministry of Health each week, with the remainder distributed to international organizations. He considers this amount “insignificant” compared to the sector’s needs.

He explains that the shortage of cancer medications has reached 71%, while 90% of orthopedic surgery supplies have disappeared, forcing thousands of wounded individuals to seek treatment abroad due to the unavailability of bone fixators and necessary surgical instruments.