MSF opening of pediatric hospitalization services in Central Gaza

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, which has killed at least 43,000 people and injured 102,000 (OCHA, 5 November), up to 1.9 million people (90% of the population) have been displaced, with more than a million living in dire living conditions at the Israeli-designated zone of Al Mawasi. In these overcrowded displacement sites, the risk of people developing diseases is increasing.

Meanwhile, people stuck there lack everything, from the most basic items such as food or soap, to other vital services including proper medical care. On 15 October 2024, one month after the opening of a second field hospital in Deir Al Balah, MSF teams have expanded medical activities to include pediatric hospitalization. Eighteen new beds were installed on 4 November, bringing the total number of beds to 51. Since the opening of the field hospital on 18 September, MSF teams carried out almost 16,740 outpatient consultations, with 36 per cent for respiratory tract infections and 22 per cent for skin infections, with around 134 inpatient admissions since 15 October. 

Medical needs in Gaza are overwhelming; children suffer from the dire living conditions in the camps, and with winter approaching, we anticipate an increase in the number of patients requiring specialized care. Once patients are discharged, they must return to the same place that made them ill in the first place. The only way to stop this vicious cycle is through a ceasefire.