PRCS increased its readiness to respond to the needs of Palestinians affected by Israeli attacks in various areas in the oPt. Below are the PRCS interventions during the reporting period.
General Situation in the Gaza Strip
• Israel continues shelling indiscriminately civilians and civilian objects in the Gaza Strip which leads to the increase of the death toll and injuries.
• Shortage of medical equipment, supplies and specialized personnel means that complex surgeries for vascular, neurological and spine cord injuries are being referred outside of Gaza. Hospitals ‘morgues are overcrowded.
• Some of the of communicable diseases have started to appear among pregnant women and children in the overcrowded shelters.
• 270,000 displaced Palestinians hosted in 90 UNRWA schools, 15,741hosted in 19 government schools, and 13 government schools, 7,000 in public buildings and informal shelters and 200,000 hosted by families. One quarter of the Gaza population is displaced.
• At least 373,000 children require direct and specialized psychosocial support (PSS). Children are showing symptoms of increasing distress, including bed wetting, clinging to parents and nightmares.
• 1.8 million people have reduced or no access to regular water and sanitation.
• Following an attack hitting Gaza’s sole power plant and its subsequent shut down, along with the inability to repair feeder lines, electricity is only supplied for an average of three hours a day. Hospitals rely on generators which cannot work for long hours.
(Sources: OCHA)
PRCS’ Interventions:
I- The Gaza Strip PRCS’ programs, hospitals, clinics, staff and volunteers are working in the field to provide emergency medical and relief services to the wounded and to affected populations following these Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip.
PRCS’ teams provided First Aid services and transfer more than 307 wounded Palestinians to hospitals in the last two days. The Society also evacuated the bodies of 124 killed from various areas in the Gaza Strip. They evacuated 45 persons to various schools.
The PRCS Al Quds Hospital and Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis have received many of the casualties and provided the necessary medical attention to them. Around 3126 persons were treated in the PRCS hospitals since the start of the attack on the Strip.
As for the PRCS psychosocial support, since 15/7/2014 and of course due to the continuous shelling that impedes movement of the team from one area to another, each psychologist in this team has started working in hisher own residential area. They work in 4 UNRWA schools and 4 government schools sheltering displaced in Jabaliya and Gaza city. In addition, they are working with the displaced who take shelter in some public buildings in Khan Younis, Beit Lahia, Jabaliya and Gaza.
The total number of beneficiaries is 2211distributed according to age as follows:
- Under 18 years old: 523 F and 394 M 2.Above 18 years old: 771 F and 523 M Total figure includes also PRCS staff and volunteers who are performing their humanitarian duty in the field.
Moreover, the PRCS has provided relief assistance to 7876 families since the start of the Israeli attack on the Strip. The distribution took place in UNRWA and government schools in Gaza city, northern Gaza, Khan Younis, Deir Al Balah, and Rafah. The items distributed are blankets, mattresses, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water and some clothes.
II- The West Bank PRCS’ teams provided emergency and relief services to approx. 23 wounded Palestinians following attacks by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians in the West Bank. They evacuated two dead bodies. One is from Safa village Ramallah governorate, the second is from Tulkarem.
The PRCS hospitals in the West Bank have received and provided the required medical attention to a number of the casualties resulted from the confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces.
Risks and attacks on the PRCS medical mission:
While carrying out their humanitarian duty, the PRCS medical mission are exposed to direct and indirect attacks and targeting which may jeopardize the lives of the teams and lead to damages in the facilities and ambulances.
• Saturday, 282014: while evacuating injured in Rafah, the area was shelled and a PRCS EMT sustained some bruises and had his hand broken.
• Saturday, 282014: While evacuating injured from one of the houses, a PRCS ambulance was damaged due to a shelling targeted the area at the same time.
• Saturday, 282014: While evacuating injured in Al Khader village Bethlehem, a PRCS ambulance was shot at and sustained some damage.
• Since the beginning of the attack on the Gaza Strip, the PRCS lost two members of its teams while on duty. 42 members sustained different injuries. In addition, 27 ambulances were damaged and 7 of them are now out of service. The PRCS branches in Gaza, Jabaliya and Khan Younis were damaged.
Humanitarian Aid:
• The PRCS is entering 5 ambulances to the Gaza Strip to replace those which were destroyed through the ICRC today.
• A number of trucks will enter tomorrow into the Gaza Strip loaded with water, blankets and mattresses and other relief items. Water is donated by the local community in the West Bank.
• The field hospital donated by the Arab Emirates Red Crescent will be moved from Der Al Balah to Rafah where there is an urgent need for it. The hospital capacity is 50 beds. It will be operated within the coming two days.
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