The Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network on Tuesday released a report on the acute shortage of medicines and medical supplies in the NGOs working in the health sector in the Gaza Strip and its implications on their interventions and responses to the needs of patients and other groups.

The report says that health NGOs in the Gaza Strip work under a crippling blockade imposed by Israel on the enclave since 2006 and suffer from a severe lack of medical supplies. It highlights that the crisis has worsened following the launch of the Great March of Return.

The high number of martyrs and wounded marches and the lack of supply have caused a serious deterioration in the situation.

The paper shows the results of a survey prepared by the Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network in August 2019 in the Gaza Strip, which included eight NGOs in the health sector, on the shortage of medicines and medical consumables and its impact on the target groups.

It turns out that 40% of the medicines are not found in stores while 45% will run out after three months. As for the medical consumables, the total deficit is 55%.

The Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network called for a serious action toward lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and allowing the entry of all medicines and medical supplies into the coastal enclave as soon as possible.

It also called for facilitating the movement of the patients, particularly those who need treatment abroad, and providing financial support to the health institutions in Gaza so that they could complete their role in offering the necessary health services to the Palestinians living in the seaside area.

 

Source: The Palestinian Information Center