HEALTH ISSUES IN GAZA/ RAFFAH (PALESTINE)

Abstract

Despite Gaza's history of escalation, the current conflict is unprecedented in the amount of death, destruction, and suffering it has caused, with consequences that will last for generations. Between October 7, 2023, and the afternoon of January 15, 2025, almost 47,000 Palestinians were killed and 115,000 were wounded in Gaza. Given that 11.1 million people, or half of Gaza's population, suffer from catastrophic food insecurity. Famine is imminent, according to the most recent IPC assessment. In terms of population share, this is the largest ever observed worldwide. Approximately 80% of those suffering from famine globally are now Palestinians living in Gaza. However, 70 percent of medical facilities have been destroyed by the occupying Israelite military forces, and Israel's siege of Gaza, which includes closed crossings and a shortage of basic supplies like electricity and water, has been a major factor in the humanitarian crisis that is developing. Frequent aerial bombardments in crowded urban areas, massive military ground operations, unexploded ordnance (UXO) risks, widespread insecurity, closures of important crossing points, Israeli government restrictions on movement and access, and infrastructure damage, all contribute to the situation.