21 june 2019
The Palestinian health ministry has warned that half of the patients in the embattled Gaza Strip have become with no medication due to a 52-percent deficit in different medical supplies.
In a recent news conference held in Gaza, spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra described the deficit of 52 percent in medical supplies as an unprecedented crisis hitting the hospitals in Gaza.
Qudra pointed out that 14 types of medicinal baby milk (formula) and food supplements that more than 50 children need in Gaza hospitals had run out.
“This is not just passing figures and stories that are told and heard. Some of them pay a harsh price when they lose their sons and daughters who need treatment but find no medication,” he said.
In a recent news conference held in Gaza, spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra described the deficit of 52 percent in medical supplies as an unprecedented crisis hitting the hospitals in Gaza.
Qudra pointed out that 14 types of medicinal baby milk (formula) and food supplements that more than 50 children need in Gaza hospitals had run out.
“This is not just passing figures and stories that are told and heard. Some of them pay a harsh price when they lose their sons and daughters who need treatment but find no medication,” he said.
17 june 2019
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned over the increasing crisis of medicine shortage in the Gaza Strip hospitals and warns of its serious impact on life of thousands of patients, who suffer serious diseases and are in urgent need of treatment.
PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority (PA) and international organizations to intervene immediately and dispatch the necessary medicine supplies to the Gaza Strip hospitals in order to save patients’ life.
According to PCHR’s follow-up, the Ministry of health facilities in the Gaza Strip suffer from acute shortage of medicines for patients of cancer, kidney, chronic diseases “diabetes and hypertension”, thalassemia and hemophilia in addition to shortage of the therapeutic milk (Galactomin milk) for infants.
Dr. Munir al-Borsh, Director General of Pharmacies in the Ministry of Health, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the medicine deficit in the Ministry of Health stocks reached around 52%.
He elaborated that the medicine shortage crisis in the Strip has affected many categories including 8000 cancer patients; 2000 of them take drug doses, as 38 types of cancer drugs ran out of stocks, i.e. 62% of the treatment protocols.
Those categories also included 1189 kidney patients; 39 of them are children, who undergo frequent dialysis, and 125 hemophilia patients, half of them are children, as lack of factor 8 and factor 9 drug doses would subject patients’ life to serious health symptoms, including coagulation. In addition, this crisis has also affected thalassemia patients and chronic diabetes and hypertension patients.
According to the the Health Ministry’s statistics, the therapeutic milk (Glactomin milk) completely ran out of the Ministry’s stocks and this would threaten life of sick children and cause them either a disability or kidney failure.
Moreover, this milk is not available in the local pharmacies and its price is even very high as each can costs $130; thus, each patient will need $1000 monthly to cover their need. It should be mentioned that the Ministry of Health needs 60 milk cans monthly distributed to 10 sick children, i.e. 6 cans for each.
PCHR hereby expresses its concern over the aggravating health conditions in the Gaza Strip, and:
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For more information, please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12 , El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority (PA) and international organizations to intervene immediately and dispatch the necessary medicine supplies to the Gaza Strip hospitals in order to save patients’ life.
According to PCHR’s follow-up, the Ministry of health facilities in the Gaza Strip suffer from acute shortage of medicines for patients of cancer, kidney, chronic diseases “diabetes and hypertension”, thalassemia and hemophilia in addition to shortage of the therapeutic milk (Galactomin milk) for infants.
Dr. Munir al-Borsh, Director General of Pharmacies in the Ministry of Health, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the medicine deficit in the Ministry of Health stocks reached around 52%.
He elaborated that the medicine shortage crisis in the Strip has affected many categories including 8000 cancer patients; 2000 of them take drug doses, as 38 types of cancer drugs ran out of stocks, i.e. 62% of the treatment protocols.
Those categories also included 1189 kidney patients; 39 of them are children, who undergo frequent dialysis, and 125 hemophilia patients, half of them are children, as lack of factor 8 and factor 9 drug doses would subject patients’ life to serious health symptoms, including coagulation. In addition, this crisis has also affected thalassemia patients and chronic diabetes and hypertension patients.
According to the the Health Ministry’s statistics, the therapeutic milk (Glactomin milk) completely ran out of the Ministry’s stocks and this would threaten life of sick children and cause them either a disability or kidney failure.
Moreover, this milk is not available in the local pharmacies and its price is even very high as each can costs $130; thus, each patient will need $1000 monthly to cover their need. It should be mentioned that the Ministry of Health needs 60 milk cans monthly distributed to 10 sick children, i.e. 6 cans for each.
PCHR hereby expresses its concern over the aggravating health conditions in the Gaza Strip, and:
- Calls upon the PA to shoulder its responsibilities and urgently intervene to ensure the supply of medicines and medical disposables to the health facilities in the Gaza Strip to alleviate the suffering of patients in the Gaza Strip hospitals.
- Calls for the need to coordinate between the departments of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah and Gaza and to ensure the right to health of every citizen, including the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.”
- Appeals to international organizations, including the United Nations relevant bodies, to intervene to provide the urgent assistance to the health sector, ensuring the continued functioning of all health facilities in the sector.
- Reiterates that the Gaza Strip is still an occupied territory, and Israel as an occupying power is responsible for ensuring the supply of medicine shipments to the population of the occupied territory under its international obligations.
Public Document
**************************************
Follow PCHR on Facebook and Twitter
For more information, please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12 , El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
14 june 2019
The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (PCHR): On Friday, 14 June 2019, in excessive use of force against peaceful protesters on the 61st Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege, Israeli forces wounded 92 Palestinian civilians, 28 of them were children and four were paramedics, including a female paramedic, in the eastern Gaza Strip. One of the wounded was a child, who was hit with a live bullet to the chest and sustained serious wound.
According to observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers, the Israeli forces who stationed in prone positions and in military jeeps along the fence with Israel continued to use excessive force against the protesters by firing bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, dozens of the protesters were hit with bullets and teargas canisters without posing any imminent threat or danger to the life of soldiers.
During this week, Israeli forces have escalated their attacks against the medical personnel in the field, wounding 4 members of them with rubber bullets and direct tear gas canisters in eastern Rafah. This indicates that there is an Israeli systematic policy to target the medical personnel and obstruct their humanitarian work that is guaranteed under the rules of the international humanitarian law.
On Friday, 14 June 2019, the incidents were as follows:
At approximately 16:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the five encampments established by the Supreme National Authority of Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege adjacent to the border fence with Israel in eastern Gaza Strip cities.
Hundreds of protesters, including children and women, gathered adjacent to the border fence with Israel in front of each encampment and its vicinity tens and hundreds of meters away from the fence. The protesters chanted slogans, raised flags, and in very limited incidents attempted to approach the border fence and throw stones at the Israeli forces.
Although the protesters gathered in areas open to the Israeli snipers stationed on the top of the sand berms and military watchtowers and inside and behind the military jeeps, the Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets in addition to a barrage of tear gas canisters. The Israeli attacks, which continued at around 19:30, resulted in the injury of 92 Palestinian civilians, 28 of them were children and four were paramedics, including a female paramedic.
sAmong those wounded, 25 were hit with live bullets and shrapnel, 52 were hit with rubber bullets and 15 were directly hit with tear gas canisters. One of the wounded was a child, who was hit with a live bullet to the chest and sustained serious wound.
In addition, dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and seizures due to tear gas canisters that were fired by the Israeli forces from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.
table shows the number of civilian casualties due to the Israeli forces’ suppression of the Great March of Return since its beginning on 30 March:
Killed Wounded
Total 207 12707
Children 44 2532
Women 2 385
Journalists 2 203
Medical personnel 4 209
Persons with disabilities 9 Undefined
Note: Among those wounded, 548 are in serious condition and 137 had their lower or upper limbs amputated; 123 lower-limb amputations, 14 upper-limb amputations, and 25 children had their limbs amputated according to the Ministry of Health. The number of those wounded only include those wounded with live bullets and directly hit with tear gas canisters, as there have been thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises.PCHR reiterates Palestinians’ right to peaceful assembly to confront Israel and its forces’ denial of the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, right to return and right to end the occupation of the Palestinian territory.
PCHR stresses that the Israeli forces should stop using excessive force and respond to the legitimate demands of the demonstrators, particularly lifting the closure which is the real solution to end the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR reiterates the reported published in February by the UN Commission of Inquiry which emphasizes what came by PCHR and other Palestinian and international human rights organizations. The report at the time concluded that the Israeli violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
PCHR emphasizes that continuously targeting civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention.
Thus, PCHR reiterates its call upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.
PCHR also emphasizes that the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention should fulfill their obligation under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.
According to observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers, the Israeli forces who stationed in prone positions and in military jeeps along the fence with Israel continued to use excessive force against the protesters by firing bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, dozens of the protesters were hit with bullets and teargas canisters without posing any imminent threat or danger to the life of soldiers.
During this week, Israeli forces have escalated their attacks against the medical personnel in the field, wounding 4 members of them with rubber bullets and direct tear gas canisters in eastern Rafah. This indicates that there is an Israeli systematic policy to target the medical personnel and obstruct their humanitarian work that is guaranteed under the rules of the international humanitarian law.
On Friday, 14 June 2019, the incidents were as follows:
At approximately 16:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the five encampments established by the Supreme National Authority of Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege adjacent to the border fence with Israel in eastern Gaza Strip cities.
Hundreds of protesters, including children and women, gathered adjacent to the border fence with Israel in front of each encampment and its vicinity tens and hundreds of meters away from the fence. The protesters chanted slogans, raised flags, and in very limited incidents attempted to approach the border fence and throw stones at the Israeli forces.
Although the protesters gathered in areas open to the Israeli snipers stationed on the top of the sand berms and military watchtowers and inside and behind the military jeeps, the Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets in addition to a barrage of tear gas canisters. The Israeli attacks, which continued at around 19:30, resulted in the injury of 92 Palestinian civilians, 28 of them were children and four were paramedics, including a female paramedic.
sAmong those wounded, 25 were hit with live bullets and shrapnel, 52 were hit with rubber bullets and 15 were directly hit with tear gas canisters. One of the wounded was a child, who was hit with a live bullet to the chest and sustained serious wound.
In addition, dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and seizures due to tear gas canisters that were fired by the Israeli forces from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.
table shows the number of civilian casualties due to the Israeli forces’ suppression of the Great March of Return since its beginning on 30 March:
Killed Wounded
Total 207 12707
Children 44 2532
Women 2 385
Journalists 2 203
Medical personnel 4 209
Persons with disabilities 9 Undefined
Note: Among those wounded, 548 are in serious condition and 137 had their lower or upper limbs amputated; 123 lower-limb amputations, 14 upper-limb amputations, and 25 children had their limbs amputated according to the Ministry of Health. The number of those wounded only include those wounded with live bullets and directly hit with tear gas canisters, as there have been thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises.PCHR reiterates Palestinians’ right to peaceful assembly to confront Israel and its forces’ denial of the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, right to return and right to end the occupation of the Palestinian territory.
PCHR stresses that the Israeli forces should stop using excessive force and respond to the legitimate demands of the demonstrators, particularly lifting the closure which is the real solution to end the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR reiterates the reported published in February by the UN Commission of Inquiry which emphasizes what came by PCHR and other Palestinian and international human rights organizations. The report at the time concluded that the Israeli violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
PCHR emphasizes that continuously targeting civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention.
Thus, PCHR reiterates its call upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.
PCHR also emphasizes that the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention should fulfill their obligation under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.
13 june 2019
The Palestinian health ministry has warned of an unprecedented scarcity of medical supplies in the besieged Gaza Strip, calling for urgent intervention in this regard.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry affirmed that its warehouses ran out of 52 percent of vital medicines and medical consumables
It appealed to the competent authorities and all concerned parties to immediately step in to provide Gaza with medical needs.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry affirmed that its warehouses ran out of 52 percent of vital medicines and medical consumables
It appealed to the competent authorities and all concerned parties to immediately step in to provide Gaza with medical needs.
12 june 2019
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) on Wednesday called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene and provide protection for medical personnel in the Gaza Strip.
The PCHR in a press statement condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on medical teams, who are responsible for rescuing and treating the wounded participating in the Great March of Return on the eastern Gaza Strip border.
On Monday, 10 June 2019, an ambulance officer named Mohammed al-Jadili succumbed to wounds he sustained while on duty to evacuate wounded protesters, the PCHR said. Thus, the number of medical personnel causalities has risen to 4 killed and 203 injured since the beginning of the Great March of Return on 30 March 2018.
"It should be noted that the Israeli forces continue to target medical personnel, centers and transports along the Gaza Strip borders while on duty to rescue and evacuate those wounded in the demonstrations," the human rights center added.
It affirmed that the Israeli forces used excessive and lethal force against them despite posing no danger to the soldiers' lives.
The PCHR called on the international community to take immediate action and put pressure on Israel to stop its grave violations against Palestinian civilians, including medical teams in the Gaza Strip who are protected under international law.
It also stressed that Israel should be held accountable and prosecuted by investigating the crimes committed against unarmed Palestinian demonstrators and medical crews.
The PCHR in a press statement condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on medical teams, who are responsible for rescuing and treating the wounded participating in the Great March of Return on the eastern Gaza Strip border.
On Monday, 10 June 2019, an ambulance officer named Mohammed al-Jadili succumbed to wounds he sustained while on duty to evacuate wounded protesters, the PCHR said. Thus, the number of medical personnel causalities has risen to 4 killed and 203 injured since the beginning of the Great March of Return on 30 March 2018.
"It should be noted that the Israeli forces continue to target medical personnel, centers and transports along the Gaza Strip borders while on duty to rescue and evacuate those wounded in the demonstrations," the human rights center added.
It affirmed that the Israeli forces used excessive and lethal force against them despite posing no danger to the soldiers' lives.
The PCHR called on the international community to take immediate action and put pressure on Israel to stop its grave violations against Palestinian civilians, including medical teams in the Gaza Strip who are protected under international law.
It also stressed that Israel should be held accountable and prosecuted by investigating the crimes committed against unarmed Palestinian demonstrators and medical crews.
26 may 2019
The Palestinian ministry of health has warned that the crisis of drugs and medical supplies will lead to serious repercussions for patients in the Gaza Strip, calling on all supporters of the health sector to step in to save the patients.
Dr. Medhat Abbas, director of the Shifa Hospital, stated on Saturday that medicines and medical consumables reached a deficit rate of more than 52 percent, describing the crisis as the most severe ever.
Dr. Abbas affirmed that the largest government hospitals in Gaza ran out of many essential medicines, antibiotics, vital drugs for patients with hypertension, diabetes and tumors, therapeutic milk for children, and consumables used for patients with renal failure.
He noted that private pharmacies outside the hospitals also ran out of many similar medicines and medical supplies.
Dr. Medhat Abbas, director of the Shifa Hospital, stated on Saturday that medicines and medical consumables reached a deficit rate of more than 52 percent, describing the crisis as the most severe ever.
Dr. Abbas affirmed that the largest government hospitals in Gaza ran out of many essential medicines, antibiotics, vital drugs for patients with hypertension, diabetes and tumors, therapeutic milk for children, and consumables used for patients with renal failure.
He noted that private pharmacies outside the hospitals also ran out of many similar medicines and medical supplies.
25 may 2019
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that Israeli soldiers injured, Friday, sixteen Palestinians during the Great Return March processions, ongoing for the 59th week, in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said the injuries varied between rubber-coated steel bullets and gas inhalation, including some who were shot with high-velocity gas bombs.
It added that a journalist, and a female medic volunteer, were among the injured Palestinians.
All the wounded Palestinians received the needed treatment in make-shift clinics, without the needed to move them to hospitals.
Israeli soldiers have killed 307 Palestinians, including medics and journalists, and injured more than 29000, since the Great Return March procession started in the Gaza Strip, on Palestinian land Day, March 30th, 2018.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said the injuries varied between rubber-coated steel bullets and gas inhalation, including some who were shot with high-velocity gas bombs.
It added that a journalist, and a female medic volunteer, were among the injured Palestinians.
All the wounded Palestinians received the needed treatment in make-shift clinics, without the needed to move them to hospitals.
Israeli soldiers have killed 307 Palestinians, including medics and journalists, and injured more than 29000, since the Great Return March procession started in the Gaza Strip, on Palestinian land Day, March 30th, 2018.
