Red Cross Director Gaza is hell on earth

The Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),Pierre Krähenbühl, warned of the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding the humanitarian crisis. He stressed the need to allow the evacuation of patients requiring treatment outside the Strip.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum in Doha, Krähenbühl said that the situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and that the Strip has been “hell on earth” for a long time. He spoke of the suffering of residents living in tents, fearing for their lives, lacking medical care and water, and facing an uncertain future. He noted that families have missing members who are likely buried under rubble, emphasizing the need for a stronger international response to the suffering of the population.

The UN official also mentioned the ICRC field hospital in Gaza, which provides life-saving care, maternity services, and medical consultations, in addition to the ICRC’s work to repair water infrastructure.

However, he stressed that humanitarian organizations are only providing a minimal response and that a sustainable improvement in the situation requires political action. Krähenbühl stressed that every patient in need of treatment must be able to receive it, and that those requiring medical evacuation should be allowed to leave to receive the necessary care.

He explained that the destruction of hospitals and the decline in medical capacity have made access to treatment within Gaza even more difficult, despite the efforts of health workers, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He noted that there are hundreds of children suffering from long-term injuries and amputations who require both short-term and long-term treatment. He also highlighted the funding shortfall, calling on countries and donors to continue