Red Cross in Rafah
Gaza aid workers: “Afraid of being next”
The fighting in the Gaza Strip and other areas in the Middle East continues and the humanitarian suffering is increasing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opened a field hospital in Rafah on May 14, 2024 together with eleven national Red Cross societies. krone.tv spoke to Hisham Mhanna, who has been working for the ICRC since 2019 and lives in Rafah, about the situation on the ground.
"Since the start of the military operations, the situation has worsened every day. More and more families are being displaced from their homes and have to live in temporary shelters that often offer little access to water, food and healthcare," explains Hisham. "There are only a very limited number of hospitals, including the ICRC field hospital, which makes the care situation extremely difficult."
Urgent need for basic care
The most urgent needs of the people in Rafah are water, food and adequate healthcare. Hisham describes the situation as extremely volatile, characterized by constant fear and insecurity.
"Everyone is afraid of being next"
"People are afraid that they won't live to see the next morning. The fear is omnipresent and explosions are commonplace," he says. "Our field hospital was inundated with an influx of casualties for three consecutive days, far exceeding the hospital's capacity."
Hope in the midst of chaos
Despite these appalling conditions, there is also hope. "Since the field hospital was set up on May 14, more than 25 babies have been born healthy there every day," reports Hisham. "Our team is doing its best to save lives and provide much-needed medical care."
Another major problem is waterborne diseases. "These diseases have been spreading among the displaced people for months. The lack of access to sufficient and clean water as well as the destroyed water and sanitation infrastructure contribute significantly to this," explains Hisham.
With more than 150 staff on the ground, who continue to work despite the most adverse conditions, the ICRC is providing important aid. "We are not only providing health services, but also supporting the water and sanitation infrastructure and the distribution of hot meals and hygiene products," explains Hisham. "Despite our efforts, the unmet humanitarian needs remain huge."
The Red Cross is urgently appealing for donations:
Austrian Red Cross
IBAN: AT57 2011 1400 1440 0144
BIC: GIBAATWWXXX
Erste Bank: BLZ 20.111
Keyword: Middle East
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